These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For
by Kelaria
Summary: A bumbling Stormtrooper, a passive-aggressive Sith Lord, and a mysterious Nerf herder save the galaxy from the forces of evil!
1. Introducing TK 421

**Chapter 1**

"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?"

_Damn it,_ TK-421 sighed, running through the dusty alleyways of Mos Eisley as he returned from the refresher. _This job sucks._

When he had applied for a position as an Imperial Stormtrooper two months ago, it had all seemed so easy. _Travel the galaxy,_ the advertisement had promised. _Embark on an exciting adventure!_ "Yeah, right," TK-421 muttered to himself now. "It's more like - 'work your butt off in sweltering armor and get yelled at all day long'," he sighed.

It had been the same thing for the past two months. _TK-421, your report is overdue… TK-421, why isn't your bed made? TK-421, your chestplate is on backwards..._ "Give me a break," TK-421 grumbled, returning to his post.

"Where have you been?" his supervisor asked.

"Uh, I was just - " TK-421 began.

"Never mind," his supervisor interrupted. "We just got a report from Lord Vader; we're to search for two missing droids," he informed him. "A protocol droid, serial number C-3PO, and an astrodroid, serial number R2-D2."

"Two droids; all right," TK-421 nodded. "I'm on it."

TK-421 stationed himself in the middle of the road, holding his blaster securely and trying to look important. _They don't pay me nearly enough for this job,_ he thought. He'd spent the better part of the morning chasing Jawas through the desert, only to be called back to Mos Eisley and assigned to boring guard duty. Now he was hot, and tired, and his armor was all dusty; he was sure to get yelled at for that too, before this day was over.

But now he squinted suspiciously as he saw a speeder approaching, carrying a golden protocol droid in the back seat, along with a smaller blue-and-white astrodroid. _That's got to be them,_ he quickly deduced, reaching for his comlink to alert his supervisor. _Finally, something is going right for me today._

"Yeah, I think I've got something here," TK-421 reported. "Red speeder approaching from the south, with two droids matching the description."

"All right, I'm on my way," his supervisor replied. "Everyone, follow me." A few moments later TK-421 was joined by the rest of his team, and his supervisor gave him a curt nod, indicating for him to pull the speeder over.

_What, me?_ TK-421 blinked; he was just a lowly Stormtrooper-in-training, as was glaringly obvious by the bright orange shoulderguard he wore. But his supervisor wanted him to handle this, so he raised a hand now, flagging down the speeder as the rest of his team stood by and watched.

"How long have you had these droids?" TK-421 asked the driver, trying to sound less nervous than he felt; he was suddenly grateful for the vocal modulator in his helmet, which made his voice sound strangely official, just like every other Stormtrooper in the galaxy.

The blond-haired farm kid looked uncertain. "About three or four seasons?"

"They are for sale, if you want them," the old man beside him offered helpfully.

_Oh?_ TK-421 blinked in surprise. _I DO want them..._ Something in the old man's tone made TK-421 consider the offer seriously, and he glanced at the droids now, feeling an inexplicable temptation to buy them. _They're in pretty good shape,_ he confessed; but then he sighed, dismissing the idea. _Nah, there's no way I could afford them,_ he admitted. _Besides, I'm supposed to be working here..._

"Let me see your identification," TK-421 said, getting back to business.

The wise old man gave him a kindly look. "You don't need to see his identification."

_No?_ TK-421 cringed, realizing he was probably doing this all wrong. _Sorry, I'm new here._ "We don't need to see his identification," he conceded diplomatically, with an apologetic nod to his supervisor.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for," the old man added, helping him out.

_Right; obviously,_ TK-421 agreed. "These aren't the droids we're looking for," he explained to the others.

The old man nodded sagely. "He can go about his business."

"You can go about your business," TK-421 instructed them; the blond-haired boy was looking at him as though he were totally insane, but TK-421 was grateful for the old man's patience and understanding. _Yeah, I'm a noob,_ TK-421 sighed. _Sorry about that._

"Move along," the old man said to his driver, with gentle authority.

_Yep..._ "Move along," TK-421 repeated confidently, waving them past. "Move along."

_That wasn't so bad,_ he thought to himself, proud of handling his first civilian interrogation. He had been firm, yet reasonable; all in all it had gone pretty well. _I think I'm getting the hang of this Stormtrooper thing._

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as his supervisor grabbed him by the arm, yanking him aside. _Oww!_ "What the hell was that?" his boss demanded, gesturing toward the disappearing speeder; he sounded annoyed. "Why did you let them go?"

"Uh - " TK-421 blinked anxiously. _Crap, did I do something wrong?_ "Those - those aren't the droids we're looking for," he stammered lamely, trying to explain his actions.

"And you know that... how?" his supervisor challenged him. "Did you check their serial numbers?"

_Damn it..._ "No, sir," TK-421 admitted. _Aghh, why didn't I think of that?_

His supervisor shook his head in disgust, pulling out his comlink. "TK-350, this is TK-286," he radioed ahead to the other team leader. "There's a red speeder heading your way, carrying two droids - "

"Yeah, I see it," came the crackling reply over the comlink. "They've pulled over; they're heading into the cantina now," TK-350 informed them. "Want me to detain them?"

"No, we'll handle it," TK-286 replied, shaking his head wearily. "Thanks." He clipped his comlink back on his belt, turning to TK-421. "Come with me," he ordered him curtly, marching along the dusty street. "They've gone into the cantina; I want you to get it right this time," he reprimanded TK-421. "Check their identification; look at their serial numbers," he instructed him. "Don't screw this up."

"Yes, sir," TK-421 nodded, hurrying to keep up with him. "I mean - no, sir," he stammered helplessly. _Damn, I suck at this,_ he confessed, regretting for the thousandth time his decision to become a Stormtrooper. _What the hell was I thinking?_ he sighed, as they entered the cantina.

The place was busy; TK-421 glanced around the entryway, hoping to spot the missing droids. He was surrounded by aliens of all species, chatting in various languages and enjoying their drinks while listening to live band music. The cantina reminded TK-421 of a place where he'd used to work, back on Coruscant. _I should have stayed there,_ he sighed regretfully; he'd only been a dishwasher boy, and the pay hadn't been great, but -

_Well that's not right,_ TK-421 frowned suddenly, seeing a bloody, severed, fur-covered arm on the floor. _What the hell - ?_

"Looks like there's been some kind of trouble in here," his supervisor remarked; the bartender was pointing them toward the back of the cantina now, near where the band was playing. "All right, we'll check it out," TK-286 assured the man.

_That's... kinda gross,_ TK-421 thought, stepping over the severed arm as they continued their sweep of the cantina. But he realized it probably had nothing to do with their own assignment; the kindly old man in the speeder hadn't seemed the murderous, arm-hacking type, nor had the blond kid. _Or the droids, for that matter,_ TK-421 admitted, focusing on the task at hand.

As they passed through the cantina, TK-421 noticed a video screen mounted on the wall, broadcasting a local pod racing event. _That looks like fun,_ he thought, intrigued by the sport; but now it went to commercial, and TK-421 grinned to himself, recognizing the familiar advertisement.

_"Do you hate your job?"_ the voice in the commercial asked.

_Yeah,_ TK-421 sighed ruefully, still looking around for the missing droids. _I really, really do._

_"Is life passing you by, while you're stuck at work, getting older every day? DoubleYou can help!"_ the advertisement proclaimed. _"Through the miracle of medical technology, you could have a fully-functional clone produced in just hours, to do your work for you..."_

_Haha, I wish,_ TK-421 thought to himself, as they continued toward the back of the cantina. Work-replacement clones had been on the market for years now, though only wealthy businessmen could afford them. _If I had the money to pay for that sort of thing, why would I be working at this stupid job to begin with?_ he sighed, realizing the cruel irony. Besides, cloning technology was highly regulated; they did extensive background checks, and would not clone anyone who had a criminal record, or history of mental illness, among other things.

_And the way this day has gone, I'd probably get turned down on that second count,_ TK-421 thought ruefully. _I was crazy to take this job,_ he confessed, remembering that he'd be stuck doing this for at least another four months, until his contract was up. _But then I'm getting out,_ he vowed. _I'll save up enough to enroll in flight training school, and get my pilot's license,_ he promised himself once again. _And then I can REALLY see the galaxy, and have exciting adventures,_ he thought, planning for a brighter future.

_It would be so cool to have my own ship one day,_ TK-421 sighed, daydreaming for a moment. _Be my own boss; go anywhere I want... Like this guy,_ he thought, as they came to a dark-haired Corellian pilot having a drink in the back corner, with his Wookiee friend. _He's only a couple years older than me,_ TK-421 estimated. _If I really work hard at it... who knows?_ he told himself optimistically.

But they'd finished their sweep of the cantina now, and there had been no sign of the old man, the blond boy, or the two droids. "They must have gone out the back exit," his supervisor guessed, as TK-421 nodded in agreement, following him out the door. "Get back to your post," his supervisor instructed him. "I need to follow up on this severed arm business," he said, as TK-421 nodded, trudging back through the dusty alleyway. "And keep your eyes out for those droids!" his supervisor called after him.

TK-421 spent the next twenty minutes wandering through the streets of Mos Eisley, knocking on doors and searching in vain for the elusive droids; but finally the search was called off, as his supervisor received word from TK-350 that their suspects had just blasted away from docking bay ninety-four.

_Great,_ TK-421 sighed, boarding a transport with the others as they prepared to return to their ship. _Another perfectly good morning spent trudging around a stupid planet in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to show for it,_ he grumbled to himself, though he admitted regretfully that part of that had been his own fault.

_Yeah,_ TK-421 confessed unhappily, trying to avoid his supervisor's annoyed glare as their transport took off from Mos Eisley, returning the Stormtroopers to their Star Destroyer. _I really hate this job._


	2. aka Johnny

**Chapter 2**

"TK-421..." The Imperial officer frowned, glancing over his record. "You're the new transfer, from Star Destroyer Devastator?"

"Yes, sir," TK-421 replied politely, trying to avoid the officer's disapproving gaze. After this morning's fiasco on Tatooine, his supervisor had decided that he 'wasn't cut out for field work', and had reassigned him to basic guard duty here aboard the Empire's new Death Star. This was the seventh time TK-421 had been transferred in his two months of service; he tried not to be embarrassed about it.

"All right," the officer sighed, barely concealing his annoyance. "Your quarters are on the ninth level, dormitory 352-B," he told him. "You're to report for guard duty in the main hangar first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir," TK-421 nodded. "Thank you, sir," he added, trying to make a good impression as he took his leave, finding his way to his quarters for the night. It had been a long journey from Tatooine, and was now several hours past bedtime here aboard the Death Star; TK-421 slipped quietly inside his new dormitory, not wanting to wake his roommates.

He pulled off his armor as quietly as he could, stripping down to his standard issue t-shirt and boxers before flopping wearily onto his bunk. Like all Imperial Stormtroopers, he would be sharing a dormitory with five others; he peered around the darkened room now, trying to figure out which of his new roommates was snoring so loudly.

"That's PL-542," came a whisper from the bunk above him. "You get used to it."

"Oh," TK-421 whispered back, grinning. "Okay."

"You're the new transfer?" his bunk-mate whispered, curious.

"Uh, yeah," TK-421 replied.

"What's your name?"

"TK-421."

"No... Your real name?"

"Oh." TK-421 blinked, surprised by the question. _Gah, I hate when people ask me that._ "John Doe," he replied wearily, preparing himself for the wisecracks that were sure to follow. _It sucks to be me._

There was a squeak of bedsprings as his bunk mate peered down at him through the darkness, getting a closer look. "Really?"

"Yeah," TK-421 sighed, glancing up at the shadowy figure above him. "Really." But his new bunk-mate seemed more curious than judgemental, so he shrugged, trying not to let it get to him. "My friends call me Johnny," he added, feeling awkward.

"Johnny," his bunk-mate repeated. "Cool... I'm Daryll."

"Nice to meet you," Johnny replied politely. _Seriously, it is,_ he confessed; hardly anyone had bothered to ask his real name, or otherwise give a crap about him, for two months now.

"Where are you from?" Daryll wanted to know.

"Coruscant," Johnny whispered. "You?"

"Reecee," Daryll replied; then he grew quiet for a moment. "You heard about Alderaan?"

Johnny closed his eyes, his heart hurting again. "Yeah," he whispered. "I heard."

Daryll gulped quietly; it wasn't something they were really supposed talk about. "Well... better get some sleep," his bunk-mate whispered, trying to sound more cheerful than either of them felt.

"Yeah," Johnny agreed quietly. "Goodnight."

"Night," Daryll whispered; the bedsprings squeaked again as he settled back down in his bunk, and grew quiet.

Johnny lay awake, sobered by the day's events. _This job really, really sucks,_ he sighed unhappily. _And not just because I'm bad at it._ The news of Alderaan had made him feel physically sick to his stomach; and back on Tatooine there had been whispers of an old farmer and his wife being killed, as well as an entire transport full of Jawas... _All over what?_ Johnny wondered again, dismayed. _I don't even know what we were doing there._

_Four more months, and then I'm out of here,_ he vowed once again. _I'll go back to Coruscant..._ He knew he wouldn't have enough money saved up by then to begin flight training school; but hopefully he could go back to his old job at Raq's mechanic shop. _It was stupid to come here,_ he admitted. He'd joined the Imperial Army partially because it had seemed exciting at the time, and partially to impress a girl; but Johnny realized that if Kalana ever learned what his job was truly like, she'd be disgusted and appalled, rather than impressed.

_Ugh, I don't want to think about it,_ Johnny sighed, pushing today's events from his mind. _I want to think about Kalana._ He tried to picture her happy, laughing green eyes; but eventually they turned deep brown, and somber, and he shook his head miserably.

_Why does that always happen?_ Johnny lamented, troubled by the strange brown eyes that invaded his dreams. _Who was she?_ he wondered once again. _My mother? My girlfriend... My wife?_ Johnny couldn't remember; he had no memory of his childhood, or his family, or of anything at all for that matter, up until two years ago. _I don't even know who I am,_ he confessed.

The truth was, John Doe was an amnesiac. He'd been found two years ago wandering the streets of Coruscant, lost and confused; the doctors had treated him as best they could, but so far he had made no progress whatsoever in regaining his memory.

_Something happened,_ Johnny knew. _Something bad._ The doctors had said so; they'd found no evidence of injury or brain damage, and had concluded that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, and was blocking his memories because they were too painful.

_It's embarrassing,_ Johnny sighed, hating to admit that he could be so weak-minded and emotionally fragile as to forget his entire life. _I never asked to be such a pathetic mess._ But like it or not, Johnny didn't have the vaguest clue who he really was, or where he was from, or whether he even had a family at all; and over the past two years he'd had to come to terms with that reality.

He'd managed pretty well, all things considered. For the past two years he'd worked at various odd jobs on Coruscant, and had actually been really good at his last job at the mechanic shop, fixing speeder engines and such. _I really should have stayed there,_ he realized again. _Hopefully Raq will still have work for me, when I get back._

But for now, he would have to survive the next four months as a Stormtrooper, and he closed his eyes, trying to get some much-needed sleep. As he relaxed, a welcome drowsiness began to set in, and he felt himself drifting off...

_RRRRR! RRRRR! RRRRR! All men, to your stations! All men, to your stations!_

Johnny sat up in bed, blinking groggily in the bright lights that had just been turned on in his dormitory, as an alarm blared through the speaker over his head. He couldn't have been asleep for more than a minute; but his bunk-mates were all getting up now, hastily pulling on their armor in response to the emergency alarm.

_Great,_ Johnny sighed, trying to shrug away his own exhaustion as he put his armor back on. _What's this about?_ His bunk-mate, Daryll, was nearly finished dressing already; he gave Johnny an apologetic, clueless shrug now, his blue eyes anxious as he pulled his helmet over his head. _Crap, are we blowing up another planet already?_

Johnny followed the others out to the Death Star's hallway, as they were hastily ushered to their station down in the main hangar. He arrived to see an old, beat-up freighter vessel being pulled aboard by the Death Star's tractor beam, and frowned in confusion. _They woke us all up for this?_ But now he and Daryll were being ordered to guard the ship's entrance, so he took his post obediently, blinking away his sleepiness as the search team rushed aboard to secure the interior.

A minute later the inexplicable urgency of this assignment became more clear as a black-clad figure entered the hangar, his long cape sweeping behind him as he approached the freighter. _Holy crap,_ Johnny blinked, trying to quell his sudden fear; he knew that Lord Vader could sense people's feelings, and did his best to keep his breathing steady, and his thoughts calm.

_I'm a very good Stormtrooper,_ Johnny thought, willing himself to believe it. _I'm just standing here, guarding the ship; and I'm doing an excellent job of it,_ he told himself, hoping Vader would sense his calm self-assurance. _No need to choke me to death._

"There's no one on board, sir," the officer informed Lord Vader now. "According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff," he reported. "It must be a decoy, sir; several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

"Did you find any droids?" Vader questioned him.

_Droids?_ Johnny blinked in surprise; was Lord Vader still looking for the droids he'd lost this morning on Tatooine? _Ahh! Don't think about that,_ he told himself anxiously, clearing his mind once again.

"No, sir," the officer replied. "If there were any on board, they must also have jettisoned."

"Send a scanning crew aboard," Lord Vader instructed him. "I want every part of this ship checked."

"Yes, sir," the officer said.

"I sense something," Vader added now, cocking his head thoughtfully. _Oh no,_ Johnny gulped, trying desperately to quell his panic. _He's on to me..._ "A presence I've not felt since - " _Huh...?_

But suddenly Lord Vader turned away, leaving the hangar as abruptly as he'd arrived. Johnny let out a sigh of relief, grateful to still be alive. _That guy gives me the creeps._

"Get me a scanning crew in here on the double," the officer ordered his team now. "I want every part of this ship checked!"

Johnny and Daryll continued to stand guard by the ship's entrance as the scanning crew went aboard. _What is this all about?_ Johnny wondered. _What's the deal with those droids, anyway?_

But now he heard a clanging thud from inside the ship. "Hey down there!" one of the scanning technicians called out to them. "Can you give us a hand with this?"

Johnny looked over at Daryll uncertainly; they'd been specifically assigned to guard the entrance. But Daryll gave him a reassuring nod, leading the way up the ramp, and so Johnny followed him inside. _He's been working here a lot longer than me,_ Johnny realized, grateful for the younger boy's guidance. _He knows what to do._

_Besides, I'm good with machinery,_ Johnny thought optimistically. _Maybe I can actually make myself useful for a change - _

He gasped in stunned surprise as a shockwave suddenly coursed through his body, and felt himself collapse to the floor. _What the - ?_ Johnny blinked, momentarily startled; but then everything faded to black as he lost consciousness.


	3. The bumbling Stormtrooper

**Chapter 3**

"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?"

_Uunnngghhh..._ Johnny blinked awake, vaguely aware that his new supervisor was calling for him. _Terrific; this again._

"TK-421, do you copy?"

_Yeah, yeah... I'm here,_ Johnny sighed, trying to reach for his comlink; but then he blinked in alarm, realizing he couldn't move. _Damn, what's wrong with me?_ He was lying on the floor, along with Daryll and the two technicians; they all appeared to be unconscious. _This isn't right,_ he frowned; then he squinted in vague confusion at his bunk-mate.

_Why is Daryll in his underwear?_ Johnny wondered inanely; then he blinked as he looked down at himself. _Why am I in MY underwear? Crap, what the hell happened?_ "Help," he tried to call out weakly; but his voice made no sound, and Johnny sighed wearily, closing his eyes. _God damn, I really hate this job._

It was several minutes before anyone found them; and several more before Daryll and Johnny recovered from the effects of the stun lasers. But finally they were issued new Stormtrooper armor, and sent back to work with the rest of their team, continuing their search for the escaped crew.

"This door's locked," their supervisor noted, as Johnny's team arrived at a control room not far from the main hangar. "Stand back," he warned the others, preparing to shoot at it with his blaster.

_Yeah, okay,_ Johnny agreed. He still felt a bit groggy from being stunned, but the medic had assured him that he was perfectly fine. He tried to blink away the cobwebs from his vision now; but then he found himself gazing in dreamy-eyed wonder at the pretty, magical, dancing stars that were raining down from the doorway in the wake of his supervisor's blaster fire. _Wow... that's really beautiful..._

The others were rushing inside, and Johnny blinked uncertainly, trying to remember what he was doing. _Oh, right: looking for droids._ He marched into the command room, trying to keep up; but suddenly he reeled as his head struck against the doorway. _Oww!_ Johnny cringed in pain, holding a hand to his face mask. _This is so not my day._

"Take over," his supervisor commanded. "See to him," he added in a tone of barely-concealed disgust, not even bothering to look back at Johnny. _Give me a break,_ Johnny sighed, dizzy and exhausted. _Ahh, I'm gonna pass out._

"You okay?" Daryll asked quietly, peering at him in concern.

"Yeah, yeah," Johnny assured him, waving dismissively. "I'm fine." _I think?_

"Look - there!" their supervisor said now, hearing a noise from the nearby alcove. Daryll hurried over to join the others, but Johnny hung back in the doorway, his head still spinning. _I can't; sorry..._

"They're madmen!" came a distraught voice from within the alcove; it sounded like a protocol droid. "They're heading for the prison level," the droid informed them urgently. "If you hurry, you might catch them!"

"Follow me," their supervisor commanded, heading for the door. "You stand guard," he added sternly to Johnny, as the rest of the team followed him out to the hallway, continuing their pursuit.

_Thank you,_ Johnny sighed, grateful for a moment of respite. He was exhausted, jet-lagged, sleep-deprived, in pain, and weirdly disoriented from the stun laser incident; he closed his eyes now, taking a deep breath and trying to regain his composure.

But now he looked up as a golden protocol droid approached him, along with a blue-and-white R2 unit. _Hey!_ Johnny blinked in surprise, recognizing them from Mos Eisley. _Those WERE the droids we were looking for!_

"Oh!" the protocol droid exclaimed, equally startled to see Johnny standing there with his blaster drawn. "All this excitement has overrun the circuits in my counterpart here," he apologized. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take him down to maintenance."

Johnny peered at the little astrodroid in concern. _Circuitry problems?_ He was good with electronics, and had worked on several R2 units before, back in Raq's mechanic shop. _I could probably fix that myself,_ he considered, wanting to at least do _something_ helpful today; but then he sighed, remembering his orders.

_I'm supposed to stand guard, not fix droids,_ he confessed with a rueful sigh; besides, his head hurt, and he still wasn't feeling so good. "All right," he said, waving the droids past and remaining dutifully at his post.

_That's okay, right?_ he wondered briefly, as the droids disappeared down the next hallway. The droids themselves didn't seem to be prisoners; it was their captors Vader was after. And for whatever reason, these droids were obviously very important to Lord Vader; if he came here to collect them, and found that one was broken - and that it was Johnny's fault, for not allowing it to be repaired... He shuddered, not wanting to imagine that scenario. _Yeah, best to let them get all fixed up._

_What the heck is this all about, anyway?_ Johnny wondered again. He recalled the kindly old man back in Mos Eisley, and the innocent-looking blond kid, who had been transporting these droids; were they the 'madmen' the protocol droid had spoken of? _Eh, I don't get it,_ Johnny confessed, abandoning his attempt to make any sense of this. _I'm just supposed to guard this room,_ he reminded himself. _And so that's what I will do._

He stood guard for several minutes, with no further incident; and finally an officer came by to check up on him. "Where are the droids?" Captain Letham asked, frowning in concern.

"One of them had a bad circuit," Johnny explained. "They went down to maintenance."

"What?" The officer looked alarmed. "You were supposed guard them."

"I was?" Johnny blinked, eyes widening. _Oh, crap._

"Find them," Letham commanded, pointing a stern finger at Johnny. "Lord Vader wants an update right away."

"Yes, sir," Johnny nodded obediently, as the officer left him again. _Damn it..._ He headed down the hallway, ignoring his throbbing head and breaking into a run as he found his way down to maintenance. _Please, let them be there._

But the droids were nowhere in sight, and Johnny spent the next several minutes frantically running through the hallways of the Death Star, asking if anyone had seen them, to no avail.

"TK-421, report in," came an official-sounding voice over his comlink.

"Yes, sir," Johnny replied, trying to quell his anxiety.

"Have you found the droids?" Captain Letham asked.

"Not yet, sir," Johnny apologized. "I'm still looking."

There was a long moment of silence before Letham replied. "Report to the Level Three command center immediately," he instructed Johnny. "Lord Vader wishes to receive your update in person."

_Noooooo!_ Johnny's heart sank. _Please, don't do this to me..._ But disobeying orders would not help matters, and so he gulped back his fear, replying to the officer. "Yes sir," he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. "I'm on my way."

_Holy crap,_ Johnny shuddered, forcing himself to march through the Death Star's hallways toward Level Three, where his impending doom awaited. _He's going to kill me._ Johnny had come in contact with Lord Vader a handful of times over his short career, including this morning's encounter in the docking bay; but never had he been forced to speak to the Dark Lord in person.

Lord Vader was conferring with Captain Letham now, and looked up as Johnny entered the command center. "This is the Stormtrooper responsible for losing the droids?" Vader asked, his voice deep and menacing.

"Yes, My Lord," Letham replied, with a regretful glance at Johnny.

Vader fixed his masked gaze on Johnny for a moment. "Come with me," he said abruptly.

"Yes, sir," Johnny replied, following him into the adjacent office, as the door closed behind them. _This is it,_ he realized, tears springing to his eyes, though he tried desperately to hide his panic. _I'm dead..._

"What is your identification number?" Vader demanded.

Johnny gulped, looking at the floor. "TK-421, sir."

"TK-421," Vader repeated ominously, staring at him for a long moment. Johnny wasn't certain if it was his overactive imagination, but he thought he could feel his throat constricting; it became very difficult to breathe. _Please, don't kill me,_ he was tempted to beg. _I'm sorry about the droids; it's my first day here._ But he managed to remain reasonably composed, enduring the Dark Lord's glare.

"I have a special assignment for you," Vader said quietly, at length.

_What?_ Johnny blinked in surprise; the tight feeling suddenly left his throat, and he was able to breathe again. "Yes, My Lord," he replied, wondering what horrific task Vader had in store for him, or which forsaken planet he might be transferred to next.

"You will hide this device aboard the _Millennium Falcon,_" Darth Vader instructed him, handing Johnny a small electronic tracking device. "It must not be found," he stipulated. "Do not fail me again," Vader warned him, shaking a menacing finger in Johnny's face.

Johnny blinked. "Yes, My Lord," he promised, nodding obediently. _Um... That's it?_

"Go," the Dark Lord of the Sith commanded him, as the door behind him opened of its own accord. Johnny didn't have to be told twice; with a respectful nod, he turned, marching quickly from the command center and out into the hallway.

_I'm still alive?_ Johnny blinked in confusion as he made his way down to the main hangar. _I don't get it... All he wants me to do is hide this thing aboard the ship?_ It seemed like a ridiculously simple assignment; but then again, _all_ of his assignments today had seemed ridiculously simple, and he'd managed to screw up every last one of them.

_Why am I so bad at this job?_ Johnny wondered for the hundredth time. _I mean... really?_ He'd had several other jobs back on Coruscant, and some had been better than others; but before he'd become a Stormtrooper, he had never felt so truly, hopelessly incompetent.

_I guess it's just not my thing,_ Johnny sighed, as he entered the hangar. _And I'm glad it's not my thing,_ he confessed. But it seemed Lord Vader was giving him one last chance, and as Johnny approached the _Millennium Falcon_ now, he felt strangely grateful for the Dark Lord's uncharacteristic mercy. _I won't mess this up,_ Johnny resolved, shuddering as he recalled Vader's final warning: _Do not fail me again._

"Special assignment for Lord Vader," he announced to the officer on duty, showing him the tracking device.

"Ah, yes; TK-421," the officer nodded, checking his identification number. "Go on aboard."

Johnny climbed up the _Falcon's_ ramp, holding his blaster at the ready and praying that this time he'd manage to get the job done without being tricked, shot at, stunned, stripped naked, or bonked on the head by inanimate objects. _I can do this,_ he told himself, looking around for a good hiding place for the tracking device. _I just have to find a spot where it won't be found._

_And I know just where to put it,_ Johnny decided, finding the ship's engine room. A small, unobtrusive-looking electronic device would hardly be noticed amongst the mass of wires and components that covered the walls. _Especially on THIS ship,_ he noted, furrowing his brows at the tangled array of random parts that seemed to be connected in haphazard fashion.

_Yeah, nobody will notice one more thing added to this mess,_ he sighed, tucking the tracking device behind some wires and pressing it securely against the wall, hidden from view. _Unless..._ Johnny frowned suddenly, realizing something.

_Whoever manages to keep this ship running obviously knows a thing or two about electronics,_ he confessed. Johnny was pretty good at performing basic engine maintenance, but he admitted that if the _Falcon_ were brought into Raq's shop, no one there would have the slightest clue how to fix it. _It's a complete mess,_ he noted once again, baffled by the ship's bizarre wiring.

_This is a smuggling ship,_ Johnny realized now, recognizing some of the special - and not entirely legal - modifications that had been made to the ship's wiring system. Johnny had learned to do a few of these modifications himself; back on Coruscant it was common for people to request anti-scanning devices on their vehicles, to avoid being pulled over for speeding.

_And if this is a smuggling ship... It's sure to have an anti-tracking system, which will detect this thing the second the engine starts up,_ Johnny realized. _All right,_ he sighed, pulling the tracking device back down from its hiding place. _Two can play that game,_ he grinned to himself, rummaging through the _Falcon's_ collection of spare parts and setting to work on his own special modifications.

_THIS, I am good at,_ Johnny confessed, testing the voltage and resistances and recalibrating the device so that it would escape detection. _There we go,_ he thought proudly, tucking the tracking device back behind the wires and affixing it securely to the wall. _NOW, no one will find that._

_Finally, I managed to do something right today,_ Johnny thought, putting away the tools he'd borrowed and tidying up his mess. _If only all Stormtrooper work could be so easy,_ he sighed ruefully, heading back out; but then he blinked in curiosity, noticing something he hadn't seen before.

_Hey, what's all this?_ Johnny wondered, peering at a bunch of wires that seemed to serve no purpose; he gently moved them to the side now, leaning against the wall and peering behind them, trying to figure out where they connected.

Suddenly the wall opened up, and Johnny fell inside, hearing a dull thud as the panel closed behind him, casting him into pitch darkness.

_Oh,_ Johnny thought glumly, pulling off his gloves and feeling blindly along the walls of his newfound prison. _Yeah... This is a smuggling compartment,_ he quickly determined, recognizing the unique feel of the sound-proof, radio-proof, blaster-proof material. _Which of course is locked from the outside, and completely hidden from view,_ he realized, cursing his idiotic curiosity.

_Yeah,_ Johnny sighed, sitting back against the wall and pulling his helmet off, running a hand wearily through his hair. _I suck._


	4. Also featuring Darth Vader

**Chapter 4**

Vader frowned, glancing over TK-421's record. He had been surprised to sense a certain courage in the young man, and wondered if perhaps Captain Letham had misjudged him, but... _Seven transfers in two months?_ Vader blinked behind his mask. _Wow... No, he really is a complete idiot._

_Well, he fits right in here,_ Vader sighed, leaving the command center. So far his Stormtroopers had done an unbelievably botched job of apprehending the escaped Rebels. _They've made no progress at all,_ Vader confessed, baffled; after nearly twenty years, he still never ceased to be amazed by the profound level of incompetence his troops were capable of.

But Tarkin had just sent him an urgent summons, so Vader pushed his thoughts aside now, continuing on to meet with the Governor.

"Ah; there you are," Tarkin said, as Vader entered the conference room. "We tried questioning the princess again," Tarkin informed him, playing back a security recording. Vader frowned as he observed a holo image of the Organa princess, woozy from drugs and mumbling something nearly unintelligible, before passing out on the durasteel slab in her detention cell; it wasn't a pretty sight. "It sounds like she's saying 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'," Tarkin said, giving Vader a questioning look. "Do you know what that might be about?"

Vader sighed. _Yes. Unfortunately, I do._ "He is here," he informed Tarkin.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Tarkin's brow furrowed. "What makes you think so?"

"A tremor in the Force," Vader told him. "The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old Master." _So he's finally making his move, after all these years,_ Vader mused. _Interesting..._

Tarkin frowned doubtfully. "Surely he must be dead by now."

"Don't underestimate the Force," Vader warned him, scowling behind his mask; it bothered him that no one took the Force seriously anymore.

"The Jedi are extinct," Tarkin replied dismissively. "Their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion." He paused to answer a security call, and Vader sighed in annoyance, waiting impatiently for him to finish.

"Obi-Wan is here," Vader insisted again. "The Force is with him," he added, perhaps a bit too sulkily.

"If you're right..." Tarkin frowned, unconvinced. "He must not be allowed to escape."

"Escape is not his plan," Vader replied darkly. "I must face him, alone." With that, he turned resolutely, vanishing from the conference room with a sweep of his black cloak.

_'Escape is not his plan?'_ Vader thought, frowning as he continued down the hallway. _What does that even mean?_ He sighed dismissively; it was a technique he had developed over the years, for dealing with annoying officers such as Tarkin. _When you get bored of talking to them, just say something cryptic and mysterious, and storm off._ The technique had served him well.

_I hate this job,_ Vader sighed. He'd been working at it for nearly twenty years now; if he'd held any other position within the Imperial Army, he would qualify for a very nice retirement package in just a few more months. But unfortunately there was no retirement package for a Sith Lord; the only escape was death. And death might take him mercifully soon, he knew; his health had been failing these past few years, and the doctors said he would not hold out much longer.

_Just as well,_ Vader thought, unafraid of that reality. _I'm tired of all this anyway._ The only thing that kept him going was the knowledge that when he died, Palpatine would replace him with someone far more competent; and Vader could not allow that to happen. _At least, not yet._ For the truth was that Darth Vader's greatest ambition was to forever go down in history as the Worst Sith Lord Ever.

It was a title Vader took great pride in, and had worked hard at over the years. He had no love for Palpatine, and had made a little game of thwarting his Master's diabolical schemes in small, petty, childish ways, for nineteen years now. He would forget to turn in reports, accidentally delete files from the main computer, lose shipments, break things, and otherwise screw everything up, as often as he could. And if there was an important job to be done, he would specifically choose the most incompetent person he could find to carry out the task - such as the bumbling young Stormtrooper he'd just sent to hide the tracking device aboard the _Millennium Falcon._

But today, Vader had truly outdone himself. When he'd discovered Leia aboard the Rebel ship this morning, and found that an escape pod had been launched, he'd sent an entire division of Stormtroopers down to Tatooine immediately, as a warning to Obi-Wan and Luke. _Whatever you're doing, be quiet about it. We're on to you._ He'd purposely bungled his own attempt at interrogating the princess, claiming that no more information could be extracted from her; and half an hour ago, when the _Millennium Falcon_ had been caught in the Death Star's tractor beam, he had called for his youngest, most inexperienced Stormtrooper division, waking them up from sleep and assigning them the task of chasing Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan through the Death Star's hallways.

_They're doing a terrible job of it,_ Vader thought in amusement. Of course, an entire platoon of Stormtroopers stood no chance against two fully-trained Jedi Knights, he knew. _Is Luke knighted already, or still a padawan?_ he wondered. Luke was was nineteen now; if Obi-Wan had been training him since infancy, he must surely be a powerful Jedi, in any case. Vader was secretly immensely proud of his son.

He'd known of Obi-Wan and Luke's whereabouts for years now, and Leia's as well; Palpatine did too, but had found it amusing to keep them alive, languishing in exile and powerless to launch any kind of significant attack against the Empire. Darth Sidious often cackled to think of his old nemesis, Master Yoda, rotting away on Dagobah, growing more senile and feeble with each passing year.

Vader himself had kept his distance; he had no desire to see his old Master, and feared that Obi-Wan would sense him if he ever set foot on Tatooine. He'd come into contact with Leia a few times over the years, but was grateful that she seemed to have been spared the disturbing truth of her father's identity. _Luke surely knows by now, though,_ Vader guessed; he felt a twinge of shame, and hoped that Obi-Wan had broken it to the boy gently.

_I wonder what he looks like,_ Vader thought once again. Did he look like his twin sister? With her dark hair and brown eyes, Leia was a heartbreaking reminder of their mother. _Or does he take more after me?_ Vader wondered, somewhat disturbed by the thought. He was tempted to catch a glimpse of his son today, but had decided to stay out of their way as best he could. _I don't want him to see me,_ Vader admitted unhappily. _Not like this._

_Hopefully they're just here to rescue the princess, and will leave me alone,_ he sighed, continuing through the hallways. But he realized they would not escape the Death Star's tractor beam, and so Vader made his way up to the control bridge to disable the system now.

There was another reason that Vader was avoiding them, though it pained him to admit it: if it came to a fight, he knew he would stand no chance against the Jedi. Not that he was afraid of dying; but he did not wish to subject himself to such mortification and shame, if he could avoid it. Vader had woefully neglected his lightsaber practice these past nineteen years, and was in terrible physical shape; he might very well die of embarrassment, if his old Master - and his son - were to see what a pathetic, miserable wreck he had become.

Luke and Obi-Wan, in contrast, were surely a highly-trained Jedi team, at the pinnacle of their strength. Luke was just reaching manhood, and was possibly a full-fledged Jedi Knight already; and Obi-Wan was only fifty-seven now, still well in his prime. It was hard to picture his former Master as middle-aged, but Vader knew that a Jedi only grew stronger with time; Master Windu had been nearly that old when -

Vader frowned, pushing the disturbing thought from his mind. _I'll just disable the tractor beam, and stay out of their way,_ he resolved once again, making his way onto the narrow bridge. But as he arrived at the control console, he saw that the Jedi had already beaten him to the task. _Of course Obi-Wan would think of that,_ Vader realized with quiet amusement, heading back out to the hallway.

_Okay, guys; get out of here,_ Vader thought anxiously, making his way back down to the command center. He could sense Obi-Wan's elusive presence now and then, but wasn't sure exactly where he was at the moment. Vader was masking his own presence as well, equally intent on avoiding confrontation with his old Master.

But suddenly he saw a hooded, brown-cloaked figure in the hallway up ahead, and Vader froze in place now, hiding in the shadows. _Ahh!_ He tried to mask his sudden panic; but he knew it was too late, and that Obi-Wan had seen him too. _Damn it... Now what?_

Walking away would look stupid at this point, and Vader felt a deep sense of horror at the thought of having to actually speak to his old Master, after all these years; and so he did the only thing he could think of, that had any semblance of dignity to it.

Standing his ground, he pressed the button on his lightsaber, as the red beam hummed to life.

_All right,_ Vader sighed with resignation, walking bravely toward Obi-Wan to meet his doom. _Let's do this._ Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber lit up in response, and Vader gulped back his fear, doing his best to mask his deep shame and regret. _This is it. I'm going to die._

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan," Vader began; there were rules to encounters between Sith and Jedi, and as the host of today's duel, it was his place to respectfully greet his opponent. "We meet again at last." _He looks older than I'd imagined,_ Vader realized suddenly, noting Obi-Wan's snow-white beard. He felt a twinge of sadness. _It's been a long time._

"The circle is now complete," Vader continued, affording his opponent the proper fair warning. "When I left you, I was but the learner. Now, I am the Master." _Who am I kidding,_ he sighed ruefully. _He's going to kick my ass._

But nothing prepared him for his former Master's response. "Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan taunted, striking the first blow.

_'Darth'?_ Vader blinked in dismay, countering the Jedi's opening strike. _You don't call a Sith Lord 'Darth'._ Lightsaber duels involved rules of civility and respect between adversaries, and Obi-Wan was resorting to childish name-calling.

_He's mocking me,_ Vader realized, heartbroken; but almost immediately they both found themselves in the embarrassing position of lightsaber lock, and took a step back from each other, to try again. _Okay, that was pathetic,_ Vader admitted; but it hadn't been entirely his fault. In fact, it hadn't been his fault at all... His brows furrowed as they began fighting again.

_Come on,_ Vader scolded himself. _Focus._ He dodged Obi-Wan's next assault, and the one after that, trying to predict his old Master's moves and not completely embarrass himself. In the old days, they'd been able to completely evade each other's blows for long periods of time, twirling their sabers at lightning speed without ever touching each other; their all-time record had been 29.6 seconds. _And now I can't even - _

Vader blinked in stunned surprise now, as Obi-Wan suddenly changed tactics. _What the - ?_ Vader quickly checked his own blow, holding back uncertainly as the Jedi Master spun around for no apparent reason, his back exposed to Vader for nearly a full second. _Is this... Is this something new?_ Vader wondered, caught off guard; he'd never seen that move before. _Damn it, I am so out of practice._

They clashed sabers again, and Vader pushed himself harder, striking at Obi-Wan with all of his strength and resolving to not go down without a valiant effort. But to his surprise, he found himself overpowering the Jedi Master, pushing him back against the wall as Obi-Wan grimaced, straining feebly against his assault.

_What?_ Vader blinked worriedly, covering for his old Master's momentary lapse by pretending to miss him entirely now, and hacking at the wall instead. _Obi-Wan... What is wrong with you?_ But as they continued to fight, it became tragically apparent that his old Master was just as out of practice as Vader himself was, if not more so. _This is unbelievable... He's in worse shape than me._

"Your powers are weak, old man," Vader said, heartbroken by the realization. _Obi-Wan, what happened to you?_ It wasn't just the white beard that troubled him; Vader could see now that his beloved old Master had aged far beyond his years, and looked closer to seventy, than fifty-seven. _This is... so wrong,_ Vader blinked in dismay.

"You can't win, Darth," Obi-Wan countered now. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

_There we go with the 'Darth' again,_ Vader sighed, blinking in confusion; was Obi-Wan still mocking him, or... _Has he gone completely senile?_ Suddenly Vader's heart sank as he began to understand Palpatine's profound amusement concerning Luke and Obi-Wan. _He's gone insane, just like Yoda,_ Vader realized, tears springing to his eyes. _And if he's been training Luke...? Oh, this is not good._

They continued clashing sabers, and Vader went easy on the poor old man, trying to figure out what to do next. "You should not have come back," he said, his heart heavy. _Seriously... I was depressed enough before, without seeing you like this._ Obi-Wan struck back with the most random, haphazard butchery of lightsaber techniques Vader had ever seen, and his heart broke, realizing his old Master was truly lost.

_All right,_ Vader resolved quickly, taking matters into his own hands. _Here's what we're going to do._ Countering Obi-Wan's feeble attacks, he drove him slowly back toward the main hangar, where the _Millennium Falcon_ was docked. Vader could sense a vague presence in the shadows, and prayed that Luke and Leia were ready to make their escape now. _Go on, Master,_ he sighed regretfully, as they reached the doorway. _Get out of here._

There were still several Stormtroopers guarding the ship; but Luke would be able to handle them... _I hope?_ Vader blinked worriedly. _Crap, what if he can't?_ Thinking quickly, Vader created a Force disturbance nearby, and the Stormtroopers immediately rushed over to check it out, abandoning their post. _That's right, guys,_ Vader sighed, thanking the Force once again for his army of dim-witted underlings. _Good job._

_NOW, Luke,_ Vader thought anxiously. _Go!_ Thankfully, the Rebels seized this opportunity to rush out to their ship; but now Vader felt a strange chill run down his spine, and his heart fluttered nervously as he heard his son's voice for the first time.

"Ben?" Luke called out to his Master worriedly. _It's him,_ Vader realized, catching his first glimpse of the boy. To his surprise, Luke had shaggy blond hair and blue eyes, and looked nothing like his sister at all. _He takes after me... E__xcept he's little,_ he noted fondly, his heart filling with warmth for his son. _And there's an innocence about him, that I never had,_ Vader sensed now, comforted by what his feelings were telling him. _He's beautiful, and kind-hearted, and good... Force, I love him._

But Vader also sensed an entire division of Stormtroopers headed their way now, and realized there was not much time. _All right, Obi-Wan,_ Vader thought, turning his attention back to their duel. _Time to go._ Vader had it all worked out; the moment Obi-Wan made his move, he would Force-shove the Stormtroopers back, making it look as though Obi-Wan had done it, and clearing a path for his escape.

But there was one problem with that plan, Vader realized worriedly now: Obi-Wan wasn't leaving. _Come on, Master; go,_ Vader pleaded, as they stood there, once again trapped in lightsaber lock. _Gah, this is embarrassing,_ he sighed, realizing Luke was watching. _Obi-Wan... GO!_

Obi-Wan glanced at Luke now, smiling faintly; then he turned back to Vader, giving him a knowing look. _"Trust me, old friend,"_ his eyes seemed to say. And his voice seemed to say it as well, though his lips hadn't moved. Vader blinked in profound confusion. _Huh?_

_Did I... Did I just hear his voice in my head?_ Vader wondered momentarily, caught off guard. _No,_ he frowned. _Only crazy people hear voices in their heads,_ he chided himself; then he gulped worriedly, remembering that his old Master obviously suffered from some type of mental illness. _Oh no,_ Vader thought, panicking. _It's contagious?_

But then he frowned as another thought came to him. _Maybe it's some kind of new Jedi power?_ Vader tried to think back to his studies, as a young padawan; hadn't there been something about... _Telepathy?_ Vader blinked in surprise. It was an old Jedi myth; more of a legend, than actual history. Vader's brows furrowed as he tried to remember the exact tenet. _Telepathy leads to..._

_Transcendence?_ Vader stared at his old Master now, startled. Had Obi-Wan somehow learned the ancient art? The Jedi of old were said to have been able to transcend into the Force when they died, their physical bodies vanishing, but their spirits remaining behind. But the secret had been lost centuries ago... Hadn't it?

Suddenly Vader recalled Obi-Wan's last words to him: _'If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine...'_ Vader had dismissed it as crazy talk, but - had Obi-Wan actually re-discovered the ancient art of Transcendence? _'Trust me, old friend,'_ he had said just now; Vader could swear he'd heard his old Master's voice inside his head.

_Oh no,_ Vader realized suddenly, tears springing to his eyes. _He wants me to kill him._ Obi-Wan was raising his blue lightsaber now in an attitude of peaceful submission, closing his eyes meditatively. _Damn it, Obi-Wan,_ Vader cried, grief-stricken. _Don't make me do this..._ But an entire division of Stormtroopers would be here in just moments, and Luke was still out there, refusing to leave without Obi-Wan.

_It's the only way to save Luke,_ Vader realized, heartbroken. _Master, I hope you know what you're doing..._ Closing his eyes, he summoned his courage, burying his grief and horror as he brought his red lightsaber around in a swift, deadly arc. _Force, forgive me._

_Is it done?_ Vader gulped, forcing his eyes open and watching through tear-blurred vision as Obi-Wan's brown Jedi cloak dropped lightly to the floor, along with his lightsaber hilt. _Holy crap, he did it,_ Vader realized, shocked and grief-stricken. _He really did it..._

"No!" came a horrified scream from the docking bay.

_I'm sorry, Luke,_ Vader choked miserably, inanely prodding at Obi-Wan's cloak with his boot, still unable to grasp what had just happened. _Ahh, why am I doing this? He's gone,_ Vader knew, heartbroken. _Obi-Wan, I'm sorry..._

_What have I done?_ Tears blinding his vision, Vader began pacing around the hallway, wracked with guilt and despair. He was aware of the sound of blaster fire all around him, and could sense Luke's righteous wrath; but he did not hear the familiar hum of a Jedi's lightsaber amidst the blaster fire, and closed his eyes unhappily now, finally understanding the painful truth.

_Luke hasn't been trained,_ Vader realized with dismay. _He's not a Jedi Knight, or even a padawan... Obi-Wan never taught him at all?_ Vader blinked in profound disbelief, unable to wrap his mind around the concept. _What were they doing out there on Tatooine, all these years?_ It made no sense; but now Vader understood Palpatine's deep amusement and lack of concern over the situation.

But more Stormtroopers were arriving now, and Vader realized he was supposed to be apprehending the Rebels, not pacing aimlessly around the hallway. "Blast the door, kid!" one of the Rebels called out to Luke now; Vader sighed in gratitude, walking deliberately toward the hangar and making a good show of at least trying to do _something,_ as the door closed in his face.

_Oops,_ Vader laughed wearily to himself, sensing Luke and the others blasting safely away from the Death Star. _My bad._ He'd made a career of bungling his job in subtle ways, every single day, for nineteen years now; but today he'd really pushed the limits, and Vader sighed ruefully, realizing he'd have to explain all this to Tarkin now.

He eyed Obi-Wan's cloak once again, his heart aching with painful regret; but his men were watching, and this was not the time to show weakness or grief. Steeling his resolve, Vader casually gathered up the crumpled cloak and lightsaber hilt, continuing up to the command bridge to show Governor Tarkin the trophies of his glorious victory over the traitorous Jedi.


	5. The passive aggressive Sith Lord

**Chapter 5**

"You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship?" Tarkin asked. "I'm taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work."

_Um... About that,_ Vader laughed to himself, quietly amused. _We might have a slight problem._ First of all, he'd sent a total idiot to hide the device aboard the _Falcon_; and secondly, the smuggling freighter was sure to have an anti-tracking system which would detect the device immediately.

_So why haven't they disabled it yet?_ Vader thought worriedly, as they continued to follow the _Millennium Falcon_ on its journey through hyperspace. _Come on, guys. Find that thing._

_This day has gotten out of hand,_ Vader admitted with an unhappy sigh. He was still disturbed and sickened over the loss of Alderaan, and knew that the order must have come down from Sidious himself. It had been suspected for years that Bail Organa was sympathetic to the Rebel Alliance, and Vader realized that the destruction of Alderaan was the Emperor's not-so-subtle warning to other planets who might dare to aid the Rebellion.

_And possibly a warning to me as well,_ Vader confessed. Sidious had known of Luke and Leia's whereabouts from the start, and thus far had left them alone; but Vader had always understood that his children served as leverage, to keep him in line: _Behave yourself, or I'll go after them next._

_I have to do a better job of playing the evil Sith Lord,_ Vader admitted with concern. _All right,_ he sighed, remembering his duty. _Time for a moment of random maniacal gloating._

"This will be a day long remembered," Vader prophesized darkly now, to no one in particular. "It has seen the end of Kenobi, and will soon see the end of the Rebellion." Tarkin frowned, unconvinced; he was still suspicious over the circumstances of Obi-Wan's death, as there had been no body.

_Trust me, he's dead,_ Vader sighed unhappily. _He's really dead._ Tears filled his eyes as he thought of his old Master again. He grieved not only for Obi-Wan's death, but over what had become of him in his final years; it pained Vader to see his friend so aged and senile, at just fifty-seven.

_I wish I'd had the courage to talk to him, before it came to this,_ Vader admitted regretfully. _If only I'd had the strength to ask for his forgiveness, things might have been different between us._

He'd learned of Obi-Wan and Luke's location just months after the fall of the Republic. 'Ben Kenobi' was not exactly the most secretive alias ever, and hiding a newborn infant named 'Skywalker' with his own family was about the stupidest idea imaginable.

_Did he WANT me to find them?_ Vader asked himself again. _Maybe he did,_ he admitted with a regretful sigh; Vader had always wondered if perhaps Obi-Wan had been intentionally obvious about their identities, hoping that he would find them, and come back home one day.

And Vader had been tempted by the idea, many times. He'd quickly learned to hate Palpatine, and had missed his old Master's friendship terribly, deeply regretting the foolish choice he'd made, and longing to set things right. _But how do you apologize for becoming a Sith Lord, and destroying the entire Jedi Order?_ Vader had never gotten up the courage to face Obi-Wan again, and had resigned himself to his fate.

_But if I had found the strength, to ask for his forgiveness... Things could have been so different,_ Vader confessed, heavy-hearted. _We could have trained Luke together, and Leia as well,_ he thought. _And perhaps if I'd been there... Obi-Wan might not have given in to grief and apathy, the way that he did,_ Vader admitted, tears stinging his eyes. _I did that to him,_ he knew. _Master, I'm so sorry._

_And now he's dead,_ Vader realized, heartbroken. _He's gone, and it's too late._ But then he frowned as another thought came to him. _He transcended,_ Vader recalled, still awestruck by what he'd witnessed earlier today. _Perhaps... Perhaps he would still speak with me?_ Closing his eyes, he tried to remember how it had felt before, when he'd heard his old Master's voice inside his head.

_Obi-Wan,_ Vader called out to him silently now, not certain if it would work. _Master, can you hear me?_ Vader focused his concentration, trying once again. _"Master, please..."_ He blinked, surprised to hear his own voice echoing through the Force.

_"I am no longer your Master, Anakin,"_ came a ghostly voice, sad and distant. _"I cannot speak with you any more,"_ Obi-Wan told him gently. _"Luke needs me now,"_ he finished, his voice filled with apology and regret. _"Goodbye, old friend."_

Vader hung his head, grief-stricken. _"Yes, Master,"_ he replied quietly, though his soul felt crushed. _I understand._

_So, it really is too late, for me,_ Vader realized dejectedly, accepting his lonely fate as he left the command bridge now, continuing out into the hallway. _I made my choice years ago, and there is no turning back now._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_Great,_ Han sighed, picking up a crate of money from the _Falcon's_ main hold. _I did everything they asked, and now they're mad at me._ Setting the crate down momentarily, he stopped to turn up the music on the radio, attempting to drown out his feelings of guilt. _Hey, I upheld my end of the bargain,_ he scowled. _What the hell is wrong with them? Anyway, I got my own problems,_ Han confessed wearily; he and Chewie were now making their way through hyperspace back to Tatooine, where Jabba was expecting his payment.

_Besides, I ain't crazy,_ Han sighed, frustrated. He'd just spent most of the day helping the Rebels to _escape_ from the Death Star; and now they were voluntarily going right back in there. Everyone seemed to assume that Vader had tracked the _Falcon_ to Yavin IV, but Han knew that was not likely. _These Imperials aren't as smart as everyone seems to think,_ he grumbled. _They wouldn't even begin to know how to track this ship._

Han continued on to the engine room, setting the green crate down on the floor beside the others. He had installed a secret compartment in here a few years back, more secure than the panels beneath the floor; the latch was hidden behind a tangle of random wires, where no one could possibly find it.

Han spent the next several minutes carrying the remaining crates from the _Falcon's_ main hold to the engine room, listening to the radio while he worked; but now he grinned as a familiar commercial came on. _"Do you hate your job? DoubleYou can help! Through the miracle of medical technology, you could have a fully-functional clone produced within hours, to do your job for you! Certain restrictions apply..."_

Han laughed in amusement, shaking his head. _You gotta be crazy to do that,_ he thought. Cloning technology had been around for years, but Han had always been skeptical of the idea. _Even if I could afford it... What the hell would I do with a clone?_ he wondered, baffled by the concept. _Go on vacation? Sit on the beach, doing nothing? I'd go nuts,_ he admitted. Han liked to keep busy, and got bored when he had nothing to do.

_All right; better put this stuff someplace safe,_ Han sighed, carrying the last of the crates into the engine room. _You never know what's gonna happen, between here and Tatooine._ Reaching behind some wires, he opened up the hidden panel - then drew his blaster instantly, as a white-armored intruder emerged from within the compartment. _What the - ?_

"Don't shoot!" the Stormtrooper begged, raising his hands in the air; his helmet was off, and Han could see a look of obvious anxiety in the young man's eyes. "Please, I'm sorry; don't - "

"What the hell are you doing here?" Han demanded, quickly finding the Stormtrooper's blaster, and kicking it out of the way.

"I - I was sent to hide a tracking device aboard the ship," the young man admitted. "And I got stuck in here, by accident - "

"Tracking device?" Han interrupted him, scowling. "Where?"

"Over there," the Stormtrooper said helplessly, pointing to the opposite wall.

Han kept his blaster trained on the intruder as he quickly searched through the tangle of wires, finding the offending device and prying it off the wall. _Damn, it's got an anti-scanning mechanism,_ he noted, seeing the extra wires and components attached to the device. _So they WERE tracking us? Which means - Crap!_ Han realized, suddenly worried. _The princess!_

"Please, don't kill me," the young Stormtrooper begged again. "I'll do anything you say; I hate this job, I swear! I'll - "

_Ahh, I don't have time for this._ "Get back in there," Han said impatiently, shoving the hapless Stormtrooper back into the compartment and slamming the panel shut again. "Chewie, turn us around!" he yelled, running back to the cockpit. "We got trouble," Han muttered apprehensively, slipping quickly into the pilot's seat as they blasted back toward Yavin IV.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_I hate this job so much,_ Vader confessed apathetically, as he walked through the Death Star's hallway. By some cruel twist of fate, the tracking device aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ had gone undetected, and now they were approaching the Rebel base on Yavin IV.

_Apparently killing my best friend today wasn't bad enough,_ Vader thought unhappily. _Now, it seems I will be forced to kill my own children as well._ Tarkin was in command of the situation now, and they would be in firing range within minutes; there was no way out of this. _This is the worst day I have had, in nineteen years,_ Vader admitted, tears of despair filling his eyes. _Perhaps ever._

He barely noticed as an officer approached him now. "We count thirty Rebel ships, Lord Vader," the officer informed him. "But they're so small, they're evading our turbolasers."

_Good,_ Vader thought dully. _Let them blow us up. I want to die._ He honestly didn't care about doing his job any more, but realized he had to say something to make the young officer go away, and leave him to his misery. "We'll have to destroy them ship to ship," he told him indifferently. "Get the crews to their fighters."

_Luke is probably out there,_ Vader guessed, continuing through the hallway. _He will be shot down by TIE fighters, whereas Leia will be blown up when the moon explodes,_ he predicted morosely, envisioning the deaths of his children. _And I will live to grieve their loss, until death is merciful enough to take me too,_ he sighed, beyond caring.

But perhaps fate would afford him one kindness today, and Luke would succeed in destroying the Death Star. _Not likely, though,_ Vader confessed as he walked aimlessly through the hallways. _Only a Jedi could make that shot. And Luke has not been trained,_ he remembered unhappily.

Then he blinked as an idea came to him. _Only a Jedi could make that shot... Or a Sith,_ he confessed, surprised by the thought. _I can still fix this,_ Vader realized suddenly, pushing away his apathy and quickening his pace toward his personal docking bay. _If I can just get in close enough - I'll take the shot myself,_ he resolved, hope rekindling in his heart as he formulated a new plan to save his children.

He saw two pilots standing idly in the hallway nearby, and called to them now. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group," Vader told them, preparing for his own special assault. "Come with me."

_I hope you two are good,_ Vader thought, for once trying _not_ to fail at his task. _Because this will only work if we go in at full speed._ Climbing quickly into his personal TIE fighter, Vader started up the engine, blasting away from the hangar and racing into battle along with his wingmen.

_This ship is awesome,_ Vader grinned to himself. It was a new experimental design that he was testing out, and so far he loved it. "Stay in attack formation," he commanded his wingmen, as they flew toward the Rebel fleet.

_And now to tune in to the Rebel's radio channel..._ Vader set his control switch to 'Radio', then twisted the knob on his steering device to find the right frequency. _I'm not sure I like this setup,_ he confessed, frowning; the idea was to have one knob that could control many different things, depending on which function you chose: 'Radio', 'Speed', 'Steering', 'Weapon Power', 'Targeting', and so forth.

_It's a little confusing, but it gets the job done,_ Vader thought. He wasn't completely sold on the new design, but still, it was fun to test out the latest fighter models, and he resolved to give this new system a fair trial.

Then his brows furrowed as he remembered something. _This is an experimental ship... Crap!_ he blinked anxiously. _It's got a built-in camera mounted on the front - with a live feed to the entire Imperial Fleet._ Star Destroyers across the galaxy were now receiving a live video transmission of his every move; the Emperor himself might even be watching.

_I have to make this look good,_ Vader realized worriedly. He'd planned to follow the Rebel fighters on their attack run, pretending to miss them, and accidentally launching his own torpedo into the exhaust port; but now he had to rethink his strategy.

_I don't want to take that shot,_ Vader admitted; if the video transmission of his attack were analyzed, his failure would be difficult to explain. _Which means I need THEM to take that shot,_ he decided, quickly changing his strategy. _What frequency are they using, anyway? There,_ he determined, finally tuning in to the Rebels' radio channel.

"How many guns do you think, Gold Five?" one of the Rebels was asking now.

"Say about twenty guns," the Rebel leader replied. "Some on the surface, some on the towers." _Oops... Better call them off,_ Vader thought, radioing the Death Star's control room and ordering them to disable the guns.

"Death Star will be in range in five minutes," the Rebel channel announced now. _Yeah, we've got this,_ he told himself confidently. _That's plenty of time to blow this thing up._

"Switch to targeting computer," one of the Rebel pilots commanded. _No, don't do that,_ Vader sighed; at the speed required to successfully launch a torpedo into the exhaust port, a targeting computer would be far too inaccurate. _Luke's the only one with a chance of doing it,_ he knew. But there was still time; maybe this crew would get lucky.

"Computer's locked. Getting a signal," the Rebel leader reported; then his tone grew urgent. "The guns! They've stopped!" he noticed now. _That's right..._ "Stabilize your rear deflectors," he warned the others. "Watch for enemy fighters."

_Perfect,_ Vader thought confidently. The Y-wings had their rear deflector shields up; if he set his own weapons to their lowest power, he could just disable the fighters, and claim that their shields had been too strong. _No one has to die here._

"They're coming in," a Rebel pilot warned the others now, as Vader and his wingmen swooped down into the trench. "Three marks at two-ten!"

"I'll take them myself," Vader told his wingmen. "Cover me." _Okay, I'll just hit him real lightly... Crap!_ Vader blinked in alarm, as the Y-wing suddenly exploded into pieces. _Ahh! What the hell? I didn't hit him that hard,_ Vader cringed, checking his weapon power setting. _Sorry..._

_Okay, let's try this again,_ he sighed regretfully, making certain his weapons were set to low power, before targeting the next fighter. _I guess I messed up... Yeah, this multi-function knob isn't the greatest system,_ he confessed. _It can get a little confusing... Damn it!_ he blinked unhappily, as another Y-wing disintegrated before his eyes.

_Am I doing something wrong here?_ Vader wondered, peering at his controls in confusion and checking all the settings. _'Weapon Power': Low,_ he confirmed once again. _'Targeting'; all right... Good Lord,_ Vader sighed, as the third ship blew up. _I don't get it._

_I always was a slow learner,_ he confessed, saddened by his mistake. These were not the first casualties of this stupid war, and the Rebel pilots had willingly placed themselves in danger; still, Vader did not enjoy adding three more souls to his lifetime kill count. _I am damned forever,_ he realized unhappily; he'd known it for years now. _But that's irrelevant,_ he reminded himself, focusing once again. _I'm here to save my children._

"Rebel base, three minutes and closing," the Death Star's channel announced.

_Ahh... Better get serious here._ "Close up formation," Vader instructed his wingmen, as they swooped down behind the next group of Rebel fighters. These were X-wings; Vader hoped that their deflector shields were stronger than the Y-wings' had been. _Of course not,_ he sighed wearily, as his first target exploded into a dazzling ball of flame. _Seriously... Do you guys even HAVE rear deflectors?_

_This isn't my fault,_ Vader began to realize. _I don't think these Rebels even - huh?_ He blinked in confusion as the second X-wing suddenly exploded as well. _Who did that...? Damn it,_ Vader sighed in frustration, realizing that one of his wingmen had randomly decided to start shooting. _What part of 'I'll take them myself' did you not understand?_

_And now... Crap,_ Vader grumbled, as his own fighter lurched in the wake of the Rebel leader's torpedo. _Yeah, he missed,_ he sighed, keeping on the leader's tail as they pulled up and came around for another pass.

"Stay there; I just lost my starboard engine," the Rebel leader was telling Luke now. _He's not going to make it,_ Vader noted regretfully. _Sorry,_ he apologized, shooting down the doomed fighter. _I have to make this look good._

"Rebel base, one minute and closing," the Death Star's channel announced.

"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up," Luke instructed the others now. "We're going in; we're going in full throttle."

_Good boy, Luke._ Vader smiled, feeling a twinge of longing at the sound of his son's voice. The previous groups hadn't been going nearly fast enough; Vader knew that only a full-speed assault would have a chance of success here.

"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" one of his wingmen asked.

"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home," Luke told them confidently.

Vader smiled wistfully; he used to fly through Beggar's Canyon himself, back in his pod-racing days. _Yeah, if Luke can take Beggar's Canyon at full speed, he should be able to handle this._

"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port," one of Luke's wingmen said. "Are you sure the computer can hit it?" _No, it can't,_ Vader realized worriedly. _Come on, Luke... Turn that thing off._

"Artoo, that stabilizer's broken loose again," Luke was saying now. "See if you can't lock it down." _Aww, he's got Artoo with him?_ Vader thought cheerfully, as he swooped in behind the Rebel fighters. _Yeah, Artoo: better fix that stabilizer._

"Fighters coming in, point three!" one of the Rebel wingmen warned them. _Don't worry guys; nobody's gonna - _

_What. The. HELL...?_ Vader sighed in annoyance as his _other_ wingman randomly opened fire on the Rebels. Thankfully he only barely hit one of them; but Vader shook his head in weary frustration. _Really: how dumb are you guys?_ "Let him go," Vader commanded them, allowing the disabled Rebel fighter to get away. "Stay on the leader." _And quit shooting at my kid,_ he sighed unhappily, though he couldn't give that order out loud.

But time was running out, and Vader realized they needed to make this shot soon. Increasing his speed, he swooped in on their tails, pushing them to go faster. _Come on, Luke. You have to do this._

"Hurry, Luke; they're coming in much faster this time," the remaining Rebel wingman warned him. "We can't hold them."

"Artoo, try and increase the power," Luke said. _That's right..._

"Hurry up, Luke!" his wingman was yelling frantically now. "Quick! Quick!"

_You're not helping here,_ Vader sighed in annoyance. _Luke can't concentrate with you yelling at him._ Besides, Vader realized he needed to get this final wingman out of the way, to clear a path in case he needed to launch his own torpedo. _The last wingman's shields held,_ he recalled, hoping that this one's might too. _And I really should test that, before I have to start shooting at Luke... Sorry,_ he apologized, targeting the last remaining wingman and attempting to disable his fighter.

_Yeah... I knew that was going to happen,_ Vader sighed wearily, as it exploded in front of him. _Okay, then; that's not going to work._

"I'm on the leader," he informed his own wingmen sternly now. _Do not shoot at Luke, you idiots._

"Rebel base, thirty seconds and closing."

"The Force is strong with this one," Vader observed, stalling for time and pretending to be unable to target his son's fighter.

"His computer's off... Luke, you switched off your targeting computer," a Rebel commander warned him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Luke assured him. "I'm all right."

_Good boy, Luke,_ Vader thought, smiling. _That's right; use your feelings._ But now Artoo was busily at work, trying to turn it back on again. _No, don't do that,_ Vader frowned worriedly; he was also concerned that he'd gone for several seconds without trying to shoot at anything.

_Artoo has a circuit breaker in him,_ Vader knew, aiming carefully and firing straight at Artoo's blue dome. The little astrodroid screamed, but his circuit breaker held, containing the blast and protecting Luke's ship from harm.

"I've lost Artoo!" Luke exclaimed worriedly. _Sorry, Luke,_ Vader sighed apologetically. _Don't worry, you can still do this._

"Rebel base in range," the Death Star's channel announced.

_Ahh! Hurry up..._ Vader continued to twist his targeting knob around stupidly, still pretending to be unable to get a fix on Luke's fighter. _No one will believe this... Come on, think fast._ Unable to come up with a better plan, Vader turned his weapon power all the way down to zero. "I have you now," he announced darkly, opening fire on Luke's X-wing, though his lasers had no effect.

_All right; just a few more seconds of this, and then I'll report that my weapons are malfunctioning, and I need to switch over to my torpedo,_ Vader resolved, planning for his final maneuver. _Then, in case Luke misses, I'll launch a torpedo at him just as he pulls up, and - whoops, into the exhaust port it goes,_ Vader decided, grinning mischievously at his plan. _But hopefully he won't miss,_ he sighed anxiously. _Come on, Luke._

But now he blinked in alarm as one of his own wingmen was suddenly shot down. "What?" Vader exclaimed, looking up to see the _Millennium Falcon_ swooping in on them from above. _Oh, crap..._

"Yeaaaahooooooo!" came an exuberant voice over the Rebel channel.

"Look out!" Vader's other wingman warned him; but it was too late, and Vader's fighter went spinning out of control. _Wow,_ he thought, blinking dizzily as he careened wildly up into space. _Yeah, the stability on this thing sucks._ The angled wings looked pretty cool, but... _I don't think this new design is so great, after all,_ he sighed.

"You're all clear, kid!" the captain of the _Falcon_ called out to Luke. "Now let's blow this thing and go home!"

_Come on, Luke,_ Vader prayed, still trying to regain control of his own fighter. _You can do it... YES!_ He smiled in weary relief as he felt the shockwave of the Death Star's massive explosion, and saw a burst of white stars all around his fighter. _My children are safe... They're both safe._

"Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!" the captain congratulated him now. _It sure was,_ Vader agreed, proud of his son. _Good job, Luke._ He could hear happy cheering over the Rebels' radio channel now, and smiled wistfully for a moment, foolishly wishing he could join them; but then he sighed, straightening out his ship and flying away from Yavin IV.

_It is too late for that,_ Vader admitted regretfully. _I serve my children best by doing what I've done all along,_ he realized once again, setting his coordinates for the nearest Imperial base and returning to his job as the Worst Sith Lord Ever.

* * *

_A minute later..._

"I found him aboard my ship," Han explained to the Rebel commander, turning the captured Stormtrooper over to him. "This, too," he added, handing him the tracking device, before rushing over to join the others.

"Hey!" Han yelled cheerfully, catching up with Luke and Leia now.

"I knew you'd come back; I just knew it!" Luke babbled excitedly, grabbing Han in a crazed Wookiee-hug.

"Hey, I wasn't going to let you get all the credit, and take all the reward," Han laughed, giving him a friendly shove.

"I knew there was more to you than money," Leia laughed, smiling affectionately as she embraced him for a second; and suddenly, all the annoyance and frustration he'd put up with on this crazy trip felt worth it.

They insisted that he join them for a celebration ceremony, and Han shyly agreed, though he was embarrassed by the attention, and thought they were nuts for delaying their evacuation by even a few minutes; but as the Rebels cheered for him, he smiled in heartfelt appreciation.

_I'll help them bring one shipment to their new base,_ he resolved. _Whatever the Falcon can hold... And then I'm out of here,_ Han told himself firmly, though somehow he doubted it.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

Luke sighed wearily as he took off from Yavin IV in his X-wing, flying to the new secret Rebel base. _What a day,_ he thought, smiling quietly as he turned the radio on, searching for a good music channel.

_"Do you hate your job?"_ asked a familiar advertisement now.

_Haha, no, I love my job,_ Luke laughed to himself, switching to a different station. _Being a Rebel is cool._ He settled on a channel that was playing some relaxing music, then set the coordinates, making the jump to lightspeed.

The destruction of the Death Star today had been an incredible victory, Luke confessed as he sunk back in his pilot's seat, exhausted from today's events. But unfortunately Vader had survived, and Luke knew that he was the true enemy. Darth Vader was pure evil, a monster: a ruthless, heartless, bloodthirsty killing machine. Luke had never met anyone so completely devoid of humanity; he felt sick just thinking of him.

_Ben said he destroyed the Jedi,_ Luke recalled now. _It's his fault they're gone... That my father is gone,_ he realized sadly. _And now Ben..._ Luke grieved for a moment, thinking of his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru; Biggs, Alderaan, and so many others...

_But at least Ben can still talk to me, sometimes,_ Luke thought gratefully. He had heard stories about the Jedi Knights, but he had never known that they vanished upon dying, or could speak telepathically... _There's so much I don't know,_ he confessed sadly. _And now they're gone._

_Although - if Ben managed to survive in hiding all these years... Maybe there are others?_ Luke wondered. _Maybe they're out there, on some distant planet, hiding in exile..._ Luke felt comforted by the thought, and he closed his eyes wearily now, catching up on some much-needed rest as he continued on his journey through hyperspace toward the new Rebel base. _Maybe the Jedi are not truly extinct._


	6. Why is this Nerf herder in the story?

**Chapter 6**

The Nerf herder smiled peacefully, gazing out over the rolling hills and meadows as he tended his flock. _I love this job,_ he confessed with quiet gratitude. He had been living here on Kalydon for the past eighteen years, in a little hill-hut overlooking the village below; it was a small, peaceful planet on the outskirts of the galaxy, and his neighbors were kind-hearted country folk.

His expression grew troubled, though, as his thoughts turned to recent events. He was deeply concerned by the news he'd been hearing over the radio these past two days: the destruction of Alderaan, the execution of an old Jedi traitor, and just this morning, the invasion of a deserted Rebel base on Yavin IV. The news saddened him; the Nerf herder held no great love for the Empire, but it was best to keep such thoughts quiet these days.

He was especially sorrowful to learn of the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi, though, and felt as though he had lost a close friend; for before coming here to Kalydon to live the simple country life of a Nerf herder, he had once been a Jedi Knight himself, back in the days of the Old Republic.

Like Master Kenobi, he had managed to survive Order 66, and had not been killed on that fateful day, as so many other Jedi had. But he had not completely escaped either; he had been captured and taken prisoner, and the Emperor had held his very soul in his dark grasp.

He hung his head now, pained by the memories of that time. He hadn't been strong enough to resist the Emperor's power over him, and had been enslaved by darkness, unable to break free of his bonds. Bonds of grief, bonds of pain, bonds of utter despair.

He had learned to hate his life, and had given in to pain and anger, until he was utterly lost. But even in this dark time, he had been driven by one desire: to wreak revenge upon the man who had wronged him, and strike back against Darth Sidious himself.

His plan had been foolish. He had constructed a new lightsaber, its blade fiery red to match his own burning rage; and he had marched straight into the Emperor's throne room, slashing angrily through his guards and confronting the Sith Lord himself. But Sidious had tossed him aside effortlessly, amused by his feeble attempt, and had calmly beckoned him into his own private chamber.

"Come," Palpatine had said, with a knowing smile. "There is something I would like for you to see." The Emperor had then shown him holograph recordings of other Jedi survivors he'd found, scattered across the galaxy: Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, Master Yoda on Dagobah, and the newborn children of Anakin Skywalker, being raised in secret by the Lars and Organa families.

"Behave yourself," Sidious had warned him sharply. "For if you refuse to serve me," he added, his expression thoughtful as he turned his gaze back to the holographic images. "Perhaps one of them will."

And so he had behaved himself; for a while at least. But it wasn't long before he found a new outlet for his anger and resentment: if he couldn't challenge Darth Sidious outright, at least he could thwart his efforts in subtle, unobtrusive ways. If he was asked to do a task, he would do it badly. If he was charged with overseeing a project, he would mismanage it so abysmally that his underlings had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. He would break things, lose things, forget things, and bungle his job in small ways, at every opportunity.

Secretly, though, he longed to escape from his dark servitude, and the discovery that there were other Jedi survivors out there had given him newfound hope. Part of him wished that he could break free of his bonds, and rejoin his Jedi companions; but he realized that escape was futile. He served them best by staying where he was, and protecting them from the Emperor's greedy clutches. And so he had resigned himself to his fate, doomed to a miserable, lonely existence, as punishment for his own weakness and failure.

But one day, less than a year after the fall of the Republic, a method of escape had been offered to him, from the unlikeliest of sources: a Holonet commercial, advertising work-replacement cloning services. _"Do you hate your job?"_ the commercial had asked. _"DoubleYou can help!"_ At first he had dismissed the idea as utterly crazy; but the more he thought about it, the more he believed that it just might work.

Curious about the idea, he had quietly paid a visit to a cloning facility on Coruscant, and the doctor - under his mind control - had assured him that yes, he could produce a fully-functional clone within just hours, which would possess all of his knowledge, all of his memories, all of his abilities; everything it would need to replace him at his job, with the Emperor being none the wiser.

And so out of desperation, seeing no other way out of his dark servitude, he had agreed to go through with the cloning procedure. If this clone succeeded in fooling Sidious, he would be able to escape, without endangering the other Jedi survivors. He might even work up the courage to join them one day, though he wasn't at all certain if he would be welcomed back.

He had paced the hallways of the cloning facility for hours that night while his clone was created, anxious to be done with the process; but when the doctor showed the final product to him, he blinked in dismay, realizing there was a rather glaring problem with his clone. He had naively assumed that his clone would look exactly as he did, and would be ready to begin work immediately; but this newly-created being in fact looked nothing like him at all, and his heart sank as he realized this was not going to work.

For he had been badly injured in the final days when the Republic fell, and this clone was in perfect condition; the medical droids who performed his regular physical check-ups would surely notice these differences, and report them to the Emperor.

The doctor at the cloning facility had also noted this problem, and suggested a solution: his own injured parts could be grafted onto this clone, and vice versa, resolving two issues at once; not only would the clone fool the medical droids, but he himself could be healed of his grievous injuries. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and so he had agreed to go through with the transplant procedure.

The Nerf herder felt a twinge of deep regret now, recalling once again the injustice he had inflicted upon that poor creature. Its body had been mutilated and flayed, its healthy parts harvested for his own use, and replaced with hideous burned flesh and mechanical appendages. In the end it didn't even look human; he had looked away from the wretched creature, trying to erase his final horrific memory of the miserable abomination he had created.

But the job was done, and his escape had been bought; all that remained was to send his clone back to the Emperor, and he could go into hiding. The newborn monster had awakened from its surgery, and the doctor - under his mind control - had regretfully explained to it that he had been unable to carry out the cloning procedure after all. So the poor, unwitting creature - who possessed his complete knowledge, abilities, and memories up to that point - had returned to his miserable servitude under the Emperor, not even realizing what had happened.

As for the Nerf herder himself, he hadn't been certain what to do with his newfound freedom. His injuries had been healed, and he looked like himself again, but he still didn't _feel_ like himself; he was lost, guilt-ridden, haunted by grief and regret. Part of him wanted to seek out Obi-Wan on Tatooine, begging the wise Jedi Master for his help and forgiveness; but another part of him didn't. And for a while, the part that _didn't_ won out over the part that _did,_ and so he kept to himself for a time, unable to find the courage.

But then a concern began to form in his mind. His clone had succeeded in assuming his identity and taking over his former position; but the creature was its own being now, with its own free will. Would it continue to keep the Jedi survivors safe, by behaving itself and doing its job? Or might it choose to rebel against the Emperor one day, thus endangering the others? Even worse - might it give in to anger and darkness completely, and seek to destroy them? The Nerf herder liked to believe that he himself would have remained strong, and continued to protect the last of the Jedi survivors; but he had no control over this new being, and admitted that they might now be in grave danger.

And so, eighteen years ago, a month after his escape from Sidious, the Nerf herder had finally paid a visit to Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine.

He had not received the warmest of welcomes. Obi-Wan had been alarmed to see him, and had ignited his blue lightsaber immediately; the Nerf herder had momentarily feared that he might be chopped to bits all over again. But he had explained to Obi-Wan what he had done, and more importantly, warned him that he and the other Jedi survivors were in danger.

Obi-Wan had listened to his story, and thought his method of escape was completely daft; but the Nerf herder had finally convinced him of his profound remorse, apologizing deeply for all that had happened, and vowing to devote the rest of his life to helping the Jedi survivors in any way that he could.

"We could train Luke together," the Nerf herder had suggested. "And Leia as well."

"Who?" Obi-Wan had asked, blinking in confusion.

_Um..._ "Leia... my daughter?" the Nerf herder had replied hesitantly. _I assumed he knew?_

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan had nodded, remembering. "Yes, that does seem to be the best course of action," he agreed. "But we must consult with Master Yoda on this matter. He will know what to do."

They had journeyed to Dagobah together, and the Nerf herder had felt a certain dread in facing the elderly Jedi Master; but thankfully his fears were allayed as Master Yoda saw them. "Obi-Wan! Anakin! Come, come!" he had said excitedly, beckoning them over to a murky puddle. "Look here: pollywogs!" Yoda had shown them. "Tasty soup, for dinner we shall have! Mmmm-hmm-hmmmm! Come, come!"

_Okay... So, I guess I'll save my apology for after dinner,_ the Nerf herder had decided, blinking in confusion. Obi-Wan and Yoda both seemed a bit - _off,_ but eventually Master Yoda did remember what had happened, and had given Anakin a stern lecture. _Yes, Master Yoda. Wrong, it was. To the Dark side, stupidity leads. Do it again, I will not._

The pollywog soup had seemed to restore Yoda's faculties somewhat, and Anakin had explained to him what was going on: that Sidious and Vader had known of their whereabouts all along, and that they were all in potential danger.

"Into hiding, we will go," Yoda had agreed. "The children, we will bring. Train them, we will," he had concurred. "Survive, the Jedi Order must." It was in this manner that the Sith had survived for a thousand years: hiding in the shadows, training new Apprentices, watching and waiting, until they were strong enough to make their move. And if the Sith had managed to do it, the Jedi could as well.

"I agree," Obi-Wan had murmured quietly; but Anakin shook his head.

"It won't work," he had warned them. "Sidious will notice that you're gone; that the children are gone," he pointed out. "He'll question their foster parents; they might be tortured, or even killed," he admitted regretfully.

Yoda's ears had drooped sadly at the thought. "Right, you are," he agreed. "Bring the children, we cannot."

Obi-Wan nodded, thinking it over. "Even if the three of us go into hiding," he said, giving them a concerned look. "He found us once before; and rather easily," he confessed. "He won't stop looking until he finds us again." He shook his head worriedly. "Besides, if we disappear... who knows what he might do to the children, or their foster parents."

Anakin had nodded unhappily, listening in silence as Obi-Wan and Yoda discussed other options; but after much debate, they could still see no solution. Any attempt they made to go into hiding would result in Sidious hunting them down, and potentially harming the children or their foster parents.

"Unless he doesn't know we're gone," Anakin had murmured, frowning thoughtfully as another thought came to him.

"What?" Obi-Wan had asked, as Yoda gave him a curious look.

"We... We clone everybody," Anakin had proposed, realizing how crazy his idea sounded. "The two of you; the children... We go into hiding, and leave the clones behind," he suggested, blinking uncertainly. "If Sidious doesn't realize we're gone, he won't look for us."

Obi-Wan's brows had furrowed skeptically at the idea, but Yoda had closed his eyes in meditation. "Right, you may be," he had agreed quietly. "A better idea, I have not," he admitted regretfully. Master Yoda and Obi-Wan were two of the most brilliant minds the Jedi Order had ever known; but in the end it was Anakin Skywalker, Worst Jedi Ever, who had ultimately come up with the plan that would save the Jedi Order from extinction.

But Obi-wan was still not convinced. "How do we know that our clones will... behave themselves?" he had asked, concerned. "What if they - go crazy, or do something rash?"

Anakin shook his head. "It's not like that," he assured them, explaining what the doctor had told him. "Your clones will have all your memories, all your knowledge, the same genetic predisposition, and basic personality," he told them. "They'll be exactly like you; so the decisions they make will be the same decisions that you would have made, in that situation."

Obi-Wan had nodded. "If that's true," he said, giving Anakin a reproachful look. "Then why are you worried about what Vader might do?"

"Powerful, the Dark side is," Yoda had murmured sadly. "Consumed by it, Vader might become," he warned them. "As Anakin might have, had he remained in that position," he added, shaking his head regretfully.

"So we clone ourselves, and the children," Obi-Wan had said, thinking it through. "Do we tell their foster parents?"

"No," Yoda had replied. "Safer for them it is, if they do not know."

"But - wouldn't that be kidnapping?" Obi-Wan had pointed out, concerned.

Anakin had blinked in dismay. "They're _my_ kids," he had told them. "Right?"

"Legal custody, you do not have," Yoda had reminded him. "Kidnapping, it would be," he concurred regretfully. "The children's clones, we will keep for ourselves," he proposed.

"But - " Anakin had begun to protest; but Yoda had given him a reproachful look.

"Let go of your attachments, you must," he had scolded him, pointing a finger. "Bonded with the children, their foster parents already have," he added. "Resort to kidnapping, the Jedi Order has never done," Yoda maintained stubbornly. "Begin now, we will not."

And so it had been decided: the clones of Yoda and Obi-Wan would be left on Dagobah and Tatooine, and they would bring the children's clones into hiding with them, to be trained as Jedi padawans. Anakin had been a bit crushed by that arrangement, but he had reluctantly conceded, admitting that it was his own stupid attachments that had gotten them all into this mess to begin with.

The cloning procedure had been carried out in great secrecy, with the Lars and Organa families never realizing their children had been borrowed. Obi-Wan and Yoda had been careful to cover their own tracks, mind-tricking their clones into forgetting everything that had transpired over the past two days; and then the clones had been delivered to their homes on Tatooine and Dagobah, with no memory that Anakin had ever returned.

And so Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda had gone into exile along with the cloned infants - which they named Ekul and Aiel, so as to avoid confusion with their original counterparts. The Jedi themselves had adopted new aliases as well at this point, and for the past eighteen years they had gone by the pseudonyms of Nikana, Nawibo, and Adoy.

Anakin himself had come up with the system. Obi-Wan thought their new names were utterly ridiculous, but Yoda loved them; he had always enjoyed talking backwards anyway, and found their new secret aliases delightfully clever.

The exiled band of Jedi had eventually found their way here to Kalydon, a small planet on the distant Outer Rim, far from the Empire or any major trade routes. Kalydon possessed no valuable natural resources, or large cities; the inhabitants were just simple country villagers and farming folk, and there was no reason whatsoever for the Empire to take any interest in the planet.

And so the Jedi had lived here in peace for the past eighteen years, residing in the hills as a simple family of Nerf herders, tending their flock and growing vegetables in their garden. They had been touched by their neighbors' warmth and kindness; the local villagers had been saddened to learn that Nikana's wife had died in childbirth, and understood that his elder brother Nawibo was helping to raise his children.

The other farmers were always stopping by with gifts of homemade bread and vegetables from their gardens, and the Jedi did what they could to repay them, offering their own crops and Nerf-wool in exchange. Anakin frequently helped to repair his neighbors' farm equipment and vehicles; Nikana Redrehfren was well-known among the villagers as The Man Who Can Fix Anything.

Like many of Kalydon's inhabitants, Nikana and Nawibo had other relatives off-planet, whom they visited on a regular basis. Ekul and Aiel's grandparents supposedly lived on Dorvalla, so the locals thought nothing of the fact that the Redrehfrens were always coming and going, though usually only in pairs of two at a time: Nawibo might take Ekul to visit his grandparents one weekend, and Nikana might take Aiel the next. It made sense to the villagers that one of the brothers always needed to stay home to tend the crops, and watch over the herd.

Their neighbors had no idea, however, that Master Yoda was living in the forest behind their pasture, up in a tree-house. Kalydon was an all-human planet, and Obi-Wan and Anakin had initially apologized for this arrangement; but Yoda had chuckled in fond amusement. _"Love my treehouse, I do. Mmm-hmm-hmm!"_ Yoda had always insisted. He had a beautiful view of the forest and meadows, and was content to dwell within the woods these days, secretly training his own youngling in the ways of the Force. Tika - being an Ewok - was a nature-lover as well, so it worked out well for both of them.

As for Ekul and Aiel, they were nineteen now, and both were talented Jedi padawans, nearly ready for knighthood. They had traveled the far reaches of the galaxy, learned the ancient Jedi traditions, and were skilled pilots and lightsaber fighters; it would not be long before they became Jedi Knights themselves, ready to help train a new generation of younglings.

_It's hard to believe Aiel is even a padawan, much less ready for knighthood,_ Anakin thought now, smiling in tender amusement as he watched his daughter tending the flock. Her long hair was in tangled disarray, and her rough-spun clothes hopelessly mud-stained; she couldn't possibly look _less_ like a Jedi if she tried. But her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully now as she scratched one of the beasts behind the ear, murmuring to it softly.

_She'll spend hours brushing all their hair out, but can't be bothered with her own,_ Anakin laughed quietly, amused by his daughter's passion for Nerf herding. Sometimes he wondered if the cloning lab had messed up when they made her; Anakin had often spied on Leia over the years, and it was hard to believe this scruffy-looking country kid was even related to the princess, much less her clone.

Ekul, in contrast, looked almost exactly like Luke, with his shaggy blond hair and simple farmers' garb. In fact, he and Obi-Wan were on Tatooine checking up on Luke now; the Jedi had all felt the disturbance in the Force two days ago when Alderaan had been destroyed, and Obi-Wan and Ekul had immediately set out on a scouting mission to spy on Luke, Leia, Ben, and Dagobah-Yoda, and gather whatever news they could.

_And now Ben is dead,_ Anakin thought sadly; he'd heard the news on the radio just this morning. _Vader killed him._ It pained him to admit how twisted and evil his own clone had become, over the years. They were always hearing news of Lord Vader's murderous conquests; Anakin had faced the sad truth years ago that there was not a shred of humanity left in that monster. _And that would have been me, if I hadn't gotten out when I did._

It had been equally saddening to watch Obi-Wan and Yoda's clones deteriorate over the years. Both of them suffered from early senility, and had aged far beyond their years; the last time Anakin had seen Ben, he'd had pure white hair, and looked decades older than Obi-Wan did himself. Yoda's clone was equally frail and withered; the Jedi had wondered if perhaps something _had_ gone wrong with the cloning process.

It was certainly possible; those had been the early days of cloning science, and ready-made, full grown 'work-replacement' clones were still a new and experimental technology at the time. Something may very well have gone wrong, altering their genetic code and causing them to age much faster than they should have. Anakin was grateful that Ekul and Aiel seemed to have turned out all right; they had not been subjected to the same rapid growth rate during the cloning process, since they had only been babies at the time.

But there was another explanation as well, which was perhaps even more saddening. _Aged by loneliness and grief, the clones have been,_ Master Yoda suspected. Unlike the Jedi themselves, their clones had lived out rather sad, desolate lives, not believing that there was any hope for the survival of the Jedi Order; and over time they had grown weary and apathetic. They had not kept active, and had slowly fallen apart over the years.

As for their senility and obvious mental problems, Anakin himself had been the one to recognize the cause. When he had first reunited with Obi-Wan and Yoda eighteen years ago, he had been rather alarmed and disturbed by their behavior. They were often forgetful, and would get their facts wrong when trying to recall past events; Obi-Wan would grow spacey and distant, and Yoda was prone to fits of giggling, for no reason.

Anakin hadn't said anything to them at first; but shortly after their arrival here on Kalydon he had discovered the cause of their strange behavior. They had held their first official Council meeting, and Yoda and Obi-Wan had been concerned by Qui-Gon's absence. _Um... Guys,_ Anakin had thought worriedly. _Qui-Gon's been dead for fourteen years._ But they had insisted that they'd been speaking to his ghost over the past year, and that Qui-Gon had re-established contact from the otherworld.

_And this doesn't seem strange to either of you?_ Anakin had wondered, blinking in confusion as Obi-Wan and Yoda explained how they were able to speak to each other telepathically now, and could hear each other's voices inside their heads. _Okay, so they're seeing ghosts, and hearing voices,_ Anakin gathered, alarmed for his friends. _They've gone completely nuts._

Anakin recalled an old Jedi myth he'd learned about, when he was a padawan; supposedly in the old days, centuries ago, the Jedi had practiced the ancient art of Transcendence, and could speak to each other telepathically. The secret had been lost for ages, but it seemed as though Obi-Wan and Yoda had re-discovered it, with Qui-Gon's help. _Telepathy leads to Transcendence,_ the old tenet had proclaimed.

But Anakin had finally called them out on their strange memory lapses and odd behavior, setting the facts straight and getting them to realize that something was very wrong. _No, Obi-Wan, Vader wasn't your pupil, and he didn't kill me,_ Anakin had been forced to explain to Obi-Wan. _And Master Yoda, quit staring into your flashlight, you're going to go blind._

Obi-Wan and Yoda had finally admitted that this was not normal behavior for them; and that it seemed to have started around the time that they'd re-established contact with Qui-Gon's ghost. And so after much discussion, Master Yoda had reluctantly added a new tenet to the Jedi Code, warning future generations of the hazards of Transcendence: _Hearing voices and talking to ghosts leads to insanity._

As it happened, Qui-Gon's ghost had been on holiday at the time of their escape; Yoda suspected that he was still visiting their clones on Tatooine and Dagobah now, and wasn't even aware that they'd moved here to Kalydon. _Just as well,_ Anakin sighed regretfully. Yoda and Obi-Wan had made a full recovery since then, but their clones seemed to have continued on the path to confusion.

Anakin couldn't help question whether they'd made the right decision years ago, with all the cloning. _It was my idea,_ he admitted guiltily. _Obi-Wan and Yoda would never have agreed to it, if they'd been in their right minds at the time._ But Master Yoda had sensed his guilt, and offered a different perspective on the clones' admittedly tragic existence: _Had you not come back to us when you did, our own fate that would have been,_ Yoda had told him. _And lost forever, the Jedi Order would have become._

But one thing that Anakin had never once regretted was the decision to clone his children. _My kids are awesome; I love them all,_ he admitted, smiling cheerfully now. _I'd clone them fifty more times if I could._ He'd had to content himself with spying on Luke and Leia from afar over the years; but raising Ekul and Aiel here on Kalydon had been the happiest time of his entire life. _I wish Padme could have been here,_ he thought once again, feeling an aching grief in his heart, which had not lessened over these past nineteen years. _She would have been so proud of them._

_I hope Luke and Leia are all right,_ Anakin thought again worriedly. The news of Alderaan had been a devastating shock; he grieved over the loss of the Organa family, but his feelings had told him that Leia was alive. Not his _Jedi_ senses, as they were generally confined to whatever planet he was on. But his _Father_ senses had been telling him that his children were safe, and that there was no cause for alarm.

_Speaking of which... Here comes one of them now,_ Anakin sensed, looking up at the sky and seeing a tiny flash of light in the distance. Ekul and Obi-Wan were returning from their scouting mission to Dagobah and Tatooine.

Aiel had sensed them as well; a cheerful smile crossed her face now as she began to herd the Nerfs back into their pen. "Go on - in you go," she said, urging them in through the gate. One particularly mischievous Nerf tried to get away, leaping and bounding back out toward the meadow; but Aiel reached out a hand, waving her fingers assertively in the beast's direction. "No, you don't," she told it sternly. "Get back over here," she commanded it, as the Nerf blinked in confusion, returning obediently to its pen.

Anakin smiled in amusement, walking back toward their hill-hut to greet Obi-Wan and Ekul. But as their little shuttle drew closer, Anakin could sense his son's dismay, and Obi-Wan's as well. _This isn't good,_ he realized, his own expression growing troubled. Ekul usually loved his trips Tatooine; ever since he was a toddler he had adored playing on the tiny sandy beach along the nearby stream, and was always ecstatic at any opportunity to visit a planet made entirely of sand. But as Ekul and Obi-Wan landed now and emerged from their shuttle, Anakin could see the sadness on his son's face, and knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" Anakin asked worriedly, as Obi-Wan climbed down from the shuttle. _And by the way, I'm sorry... that my clone killed your clone,_ he cringed, giving his Master an apologetic look. Though it was hard to believe that Ben was Obi-Wan's clone to begin with; Obi-Wan looked a good twenty years younger, and his hair was still more reddish than grey.

Obi-Wan shook his head quietly now, a sad look in his eyes. "Come," he said gently, patting Anakin on the shoulder as he continued on toward Master Yoda's tree-house. "We will discuss it in Council."

_A few minutes later..._

"The bad news, we will discuss first," Master Yoda began solemnly, as they sat around a small clearing in the forest, which had served as their Council chamber for the past eighteen years. The clearing was furnished with fallen logs and boulders surrounding a campfire pit; if anyone else saw it (though no one ever did) they would simply think it was an ordinary family campsite in the woods.

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared the larger of the fallen logs, and Aiel and Tika perched on the other; Ekul preferred to have his own boulder, as did Master Yoda. The padawans had been joining them in Council meetings since they were young children, as Master Yoda felt it best that they learn all that they could about what was going on in the galaxy.

"Already heard on the radio we have, about Ben," Yoda said now, as the others nodded sadly. "And the loss of Alderaan, and the Organa family," he added, shaking his head in dismay. "Obi-Wan... More troubling news you bring, from Tatooine?"

Obi-Wan looked at the ground, nodding. "Yes," he said regretfully. "Owen and Beru were killed by Vader's Stormtroopers, two days ago," he informed the others. "Their bodies were found just outside their home," he continued quietly. "Luke is missing; no one knows where he is."

Anakin looked down, his heart heavy; he had only properly met Owen and Beru once years ago, though he had quietly observed them many times since then, on scouting missions. _They were so kind to take Luke in,_ he thought, saddened by their loss. _I had hoped it would never come to this._

"Hmmm," Yoda sighed, nodding sadly. "And the news from Dagobah?"

"He's still there," Obi-Wan assured them. "He seems to be doing all right."

Yoda nodded appreciatively. "What news of the Rebel Alliance?"

"Their base on Yavin IV has been abandoned," Obi-Wan confirmed. "Where they have gone, I do not know."

"Hmm," Yoda murmured again. "Keep our eyes and ears out for them, we will," he said. "Though difficult to find, their new base might be," he admitted. The Rebels were remarkably adept at staying hidden; the Jedi themselves often had no idea where they were.

"And what news of the Empire?" Yoda asked Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan smiled quietly for the first time, and Anakin caught a barely-concealed grin on Ekul's face. "The Death Star has been destroyed by the Rebels," Obi-Wan informed them. Aiel smiled in happy disbelief, and Tika blinked in surprise; the Death Star had been one of their biggest worries these past eighteen years, and now it was gone... Anakin couldn't help smiling either.

_So the Rebels have managed to accomplish what we ourselves could not,_ Anakin confessed, grateful for their actions. The Jedi had of course boarded the dreaded space station hundreds of times over the past eighteen years, gathering whatever information they could, and sabotaging its construction in small, unobtrusive ways; but never had they been able to come up with a plan to destroy it altogether.

_The only way we could find was to shoot out an exhaust port from the outside,_ Anakin admitted. _But that would have screamed 'a Jedi was here' rather loudly,_ they had reluctantly agreed, deciding that it was too risky. The Jedi Order's number one priority these days was survival, and they had been extra careful these past eighteen years never to do anything that might call attention to themselves, and risk their own extinction.

_But the Rebels managed it somehow..._ "How did they do it?" Anakin asked, curious.

"A small fleet of Rebel fighters attacked it from the outside," Obi-Wan told him, as Ekul continued to grin proudly.

_Really?_ Anakin blinked; that shot was nearly impossible. Only a Jedi could manage to get past the guns, and launch a torpedo into the exhaust port at the speed required to start the chain reaction. _Leia might have been able to do it, if she'd ever bothered getting her pilot's license, but - _ Anakin laughed suddenly, understanding Ekul's self-satisfied grin. _They said Luke was missing from Tatooine..._

"Luke," Anakin realized, shaking his head. "He's joined the Rebels?" _Luke could have made that shot, easily,_ Anakin knew; he'd watched his son racing at breakneck speed through Beggar's Canyon once, on a spying mission to Tatooine.

"That is my guess," Obi-Wan agreed. "It appears that Luke went with Ben, on his mission to do - whatever it was that they were doing," he sighed; he'd given up trying to make sense of poor old Ben's activities years ago. But then he smiled wistfully. "It also appears that they succeeded at it."

"Joined the Rebel Alliance, it seems young Luke has," Yoda agreed. "Found his sister, he has," he added, nodding to Anakin; they'd known Leia had been involved with the Rebellion for years now. "Sensed anything from either of them, have you?" Yoda asked, curious.

Anakin shook his head. "No," he apologized. "Not really," he confessed. "But - my feelings tell me they are safe."

"Then in your feelings, for now, we will trust," Yoda decided, nodding confidently. "In good hands, they are," he assured Anakin. "Not to be underestimated, the Rebel Alliance is," Yoda told them. "A great victory for all of us, they have achieved."

Anakin nodded quietly. Part of him longed to band forces with the Rebels, and aid them in their brave fight against the Empire; but he knew that his own place was to train his padawan for now, to watch and wait, and remain in hiding. _We can't do anything that might risk our extinction,_ Anakin confessed regretfully. _The Jedi Order must survive._

But the Rebels had always taken a much bolder approach; and now that they had both Luke and Leia among their ranks...

_It might not be so long after all, before we can come out of hiding,_ Anakin thought, a smile crossing his face.


	7. Vader has LTWTL

**Chapter 7**

_Did I ever mention how much I hate this job?_ Vader sighed unhappily as he entered Palpatine's throne room on Coruscant, kneeling humbly before the evil Sith Lord. _This is going to hurt._

"You called for me, my Master?" Vader asked, steeling himself for the reprimand he was about to receive.

Palpatine swiveled his throne around to face him. "Lord Vader," he said, smiling broadly. "How wonderful to see you alive. When I heard the news of the Death Star, I feared the worst."

_Yes, I'm sure you did._ "Thank you, my Master."

"It was an unfortunate loss," Sidious admitted, with an air of mild regret. "But no matter," he assured Vader. "We shall begin construction on a new Death Star at once," he informed him. "I should like for you to oversee the project."

Vader bowed his head. "As you wish, my Master."

"I was also most impressed to hear of your glorious invasion of the Rebel base on Yavin IV; just hours after its abandonment," Palpatine continued, with an amused smile. "You have truly outdone yourself lately, Lord Vader."

_Gah..._ "I am continuing my efforts to locate the Rebel traitors," Vader assured him. "I will not give up until I have found them."

"Excellent," Palpatine agreed; then he gave Vader a look of fatherly concern. "Are you certain you're feeling up to the task, my young Apprentice? I am deeply concerned over your failing health," he added sadly. "I would not want you to overexert yourself."

"My health is fine, Master," Vader lied.

"Good," Sidious replied. "It would be unfortunate if I had to put someone else in charge of hunting down the Rebels, and bringing the Organa princess to justice," he said, a tone of obvious warning in his voice.

"Yes, my Master," Vader agreed, masking his anxiety.

"Speaking of which; it seems that Leia has gotten her pilot's license after all," Sidious added casually, giving Vader a sly look. "Who else, but the offspring of a Jedi, could have possibly made that shot?" he mused, with a knowing smile.

Vader gulped. "It would appear so, my Master."

"And such a pity about young Luke," Sidious added regretfully. "With his foster parents dead, and Master Kenobi as well... Who knows where the poor boy has gone to now," he sighed, shaking his head.

"I will find him, Master," Vader promised.

"See that you do," the Emperor admonished him. "For now, you will report to our new construction site near the forest moon of Endor," he instructed Vader. "I will be expecting a full update on the Death Star's progress by tomorrow."

"With pleasure, my Master," Vader said, bowing humbly. "It shall be as you command."

_Well... That could have gone worse,_ Vader sighed, trying to console himself as he left the Emperor's throne room. As always, Sidious knew exactly what was going on; but he played along with Vader's ineptitude, for his own amusement. _This is all just a game to him,_ Vader knew. _He enjoys keeping his enemies alive, so that he can watch us all squirm._

He continued briskly out through the hallways, wishing to get away from the Emperor as quickly as possible; but as he reached the landing platform and climbed into his TIE fighter, Vader felt a tight pain in his chest, and sunk wearily into his pilot's seat, catching his breath.

_I sure picked the worst possible time to get sick,_ Vader sighed morosely, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to control his labored breathing. His health had been declining steadily over the past two years, and the doctors estimated he only had about three years left.

_It's so unfair,_ Vader thought again, tears stinging his eyes as he started up his TIE fighter, taking off from Coruscant. It wasn't death itself that he feared; but he worried constantly what would happen to his children, after he was gone. _Whoever replaces me is going to do a much better job of hunting them down,_ he confessed, his heart aching painfully at the realization.

_And Sidious thinks it's funny,_ Vader realized unhappily. But Vader had learned to use his Master's attitude to his advantage over the past two years, since his terminal diagnosis. _He lets me get away with a lot more than he used to, because he knows I'm dying anyway._

He had first begun to experience symptoms two years ago; coincidentally around the same time that Leia had joined the Rebellion. Vader had accidentally found himself face-to-face with his daughter one day, after capturing a small freighter suspected of delivering supplies to the Rebels. He'd been forced to think fast - and act even faster - to avoid killing her; and after it was all over, he had suddenly begun to experience chest pains and difficulty breathing.

_What's wrong with me?_ Vader had wondered, alarmed by his symptoms; he had never had any kind of medical problems before. For contrary to popular belief, Vader had always been in perfect health, right up until two years ago.

Sure, he'd suffered some rather disfiguring injuries on Mustafar. But his mechanical limbs were every bit as functional as the real thing - stronger, actually - and his burn scars were merely cosmetic. He had made a full recovery within just weeks after Mustafar: his heart, lungs, and other internal organs were all completely fine, and for seventeen years the medical droids had always declared him to be in excellent health.

Vader's armored suit served absolutely no medical purpose; nor had it ever been intended to. It had been designed years ago as a military commander's uniform, for the leader of the new Imperial Army. Sidious had commissioned it himself, and in fact it had been made long before Vader was ever injured. And on that fateful day, the Emperor - giddy with excitement and power - had been so eager for Vader to try on his magnificent new armor, that he'd barely even waited for the medical droids to finish tending his injuries.

Vader honestly didn't mind it; he felt safe and comfortable inside his armor, and it allowed him to hide his face from the world. And he wasn't hiding his scars, so much as he was hiding _himself_. After what he had done, he simply didn't want to be seen, by anyone, ever again.

He'd always known that cosmetic surgery was an option, if he'd cared. But he'd never cared. _I deserve these scars,_ he had always told himself. _Every last one of them._ And his mechanical limbs were _better_ than the real thing; so he'd been content to just leave things the way they were.

Still, he'd always been embarrassed by the rumors he'd heard over the years. People seemed to think he was some kind of invalid, and that his suit was a life support system. But the truth was that it made loud breathing noises because it was essentially a space suit, with a built-in filtering and ventilation system, designed to adapt to any type of planetary condition. The fact that Vader wore it all the time was simply because he felt comfortable in it, not because he had any kind of medical issues.

But suddenly, upon discovering that Leia had joined the Rebellion, Vader had developed alarming chest pains, and his breathing had become shallow and labored. He'd tried to ignore the symptoms for a few days; but they hadn't gone away, and eventually he had admitted that he ought to see a doctor. He had just turned forty, and wondered - with some embarrassment - if he'd somehow gotten a heart attack from nearly killing his daughter.

Resolving to pay better attention to his health, Vader had gone in for a medical exam, just to make sure everything was okay. The medical droid had performed all the usual tests, checking his heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and such things.

"Your heart is strong and healthy," the droid had assured him. "Your lungs as well; your blood tests and other scans all turned out completely normal," it said. "You are in perfect physical condition."

_Well that's good news,_ Vader had thought, sighing in relief. _I guess it's just a little anxiety,_ he had realized sheepishly. But then he had become alarmed as the medical droid continued with the bad news.

"Medically, you are completely healthy," the droid had reiterated, before continuing hesitantly. "For reasons we can't explain, we are losing you," it admitted sorrowfully. "We don't know why," the droid apologized. "You have lost the will to live."

_Huh?_ "No, I haven't," Vader protested.

"I'm afraid so," the droid had informed him gently. "Test results confirm that you have LTWTL."

_LTWTL... WTF?_ Vader had thought, blinking in utter confusion.

"_Lost The Will To Live_ - or LTWTL, for short - is a rare terminal condition, for which there is no known cure," the droid had explained regretfully. "Symptoms include lack of breathing, lack of pulse, and death."

_Crap! That sounds serious..._ "Are you - are you sure I have it?" Vader had asked uncertainly.

"Yes," the medical droid had said regretfully. "The LTWTL test results are one hundred percent accurate."

"Well..." _Damn it, this sucks._ "How long do I have?" Vader had asked.

"Based on your symptoms, I would estimate about five years."

_Noooooo!_ Vader had cried unhappily. _I can't die! My children need me..._ Now that Leia was involved with the Rebellion, Vader would need to put even more effort into being the Worst Sith Lord Ever. _I can't get sick; I can't! This is so unfair..._

Not wanting to accept the medical droid's diagnosis, Vader had consulted with experts all over the galaxy, hoping for a second opinion. But everywhere he went, the doctors had told him the same thing: he had Lost The Will To Live, and nothing could be done about it.

_No; I refuse to accept this,_ Vader had thought stubbornly, sifting through obscure medical journal entries in the HoloNet's vast database, and doing his own research on LTWTL. _There has to be something I can do._ But the more he learned, the more bleak his outlook seemed. For LTWTL was apparently a disease of the soul, and not of the physical body; and there could be no medical cure, since it didn't even physically exist.

_Just my luck, to get the one disease that can't be fixed by some kind of transplant,_ Vader sighed miserably; but then he frowned, thinking it over. _Maybe it can?_ Out of curiosity, he typed 'Soul Transplant' into the database; and to his surprise he found an article describing an experimental treatment involving something called WRC.

_WRC... LTWTL... WTF,_ Vader sighed wearily again, trying to make sense of all the acronyms. _Ah; here it is,_ he thought, finding an article on WRC. _Work-Replacement Cloning...? Great,_ he thought unhappily, hanging his head. _This again._

Vader - like everyone else in the galaxy - had known about work-replacement cloning services for years; their advertisements were all over the HoloNet and radio stations. And he'd even looked into it once, a long time ago, as it seemed to be the perfect solution to all of his problems. But the cruel irony was that Vader's cells were resistant to cloning, and so the option simply wasn't available to him.

_At least, that's what they told me, years ago,_ Vader admitted; he'd consulted with a cloning technician less than a year after becoming a Sith Apprentice, but had been told that his damaged skin was resistant to cloning. They'd even tried to begin the genetic extraction process; Vader had apparently passed out from the pain, and after he came to, his burn scars and amputation points had been aggravated for weeks. But sadly, the doctor hadn't been able to go through with the cloning procedure.

But that had been sixteen years earlier, back when work-replacement cloning technology was in its infancy. _Maybe they've gotten better at it in the meantime?_ Vader had hoped. And so he had paid another visit to the cloning lab on Coruscant, curious to learn about his options.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, so late at night," Vader had apologized, as the doctor invited him into the empty facility.

"My pleasure, Lord Vader," the doctor had replied. "And please be assured that you have my utmost confidentiality."

"Thank you," Vader had replied, quietly amused. _Obviously you won't tell anyone about our meeting, because you won't remember this when we're done._ But he appreciated the doctor's professionalism nonetheless.

"How can I be of service?" the doctor had asked.

"I've just been diagnosed with LTWTL," Vader began. "And I - "

"Oh dear," the doctor had interrupted, shaking his head apologetically. "I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," Vader told him appreciatively. "But I was reading about an experimental treatment, involving WRC?"

"Yes, yes," the doctor had assured him, nodding confidently. "We can certainly help you with that."

"How exactly does it work?" Vader had asked, curious.

"Very much like regular work-replacement cloning," the doctor explained. "It's an indirect treatment, that benefits the family and friends more than the patient themselves," he confessed. "But the idea is we create an identical clone, complete with your memories, your abilities, your knowledge; it will have your same genetic predisposition and basic personality, but it will have its own soul, free of the disease," the doctor explained. "So it won't be _you_; but it will be exactly like you," he said. "And after you... pass on," he continued regretfully, "it will continue to live your life for you." He gave Vader an apologetic look. "As I said, it's more for the benefit of your family, than for yourself."

Vader nodded quietly. _Well that's why I'm doing this; for my children,_ he agreed. "So - this clone will be able to take over my job?" he asked the doctor. "And it would be expected to live longer than me?"

"Absolutely," the doctor had assured him. "WRC has only been used in a handful of cases involving LTWTL, but so far it seems to have a perfect success rate," he said. "The clones themselves are not affected with the condition. In fact," the doctor added, "if you're concerned about life expectancy issues, might I suggest creating a younger clone? It's a popular choice among our middle-aged and older clients," the doctor mentioned politely. "Younger clones tend to be more productive at work; they have more energy, and you'll get more mileage out of them," he explained.

_Mileage?_ Vader blinked; this was all so new to him. "All right," he said hesitantly.

"Very well," the doctor had said, nodding in approval. "Shall we aim for, say, early twenties then?"

_He would know..._ "Okay," Vader had agreed. _That will work, right?_ he wondered, frowning. He knew that his clone would need to look exactly like him, to fool the medical droids who performed his regular check-ups; but one of the advantages of hideously burned skin was that it looked about the same, at any age. _Speaking of which..._ "Um... I'm not certain that I can be cloned at all," he warned the doctor. "Because of my injuries," he explained unhappily.

"Not a problem, I assure you," the doctor had said confidently. "Cloning technology is used all the time to help treat people with severe injuries; I've never met a patient who simply couldn't be cloned," he promised, smiling.

_Well you've never met me,_ Vader had thought unhappily; he didn't often allow other people see him without his armor, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. "All right," Vader had agreed finally, nodding. "Let's do it."

The doctor had asked him to remove his armor and lie down on a hospital gurney, to begin the genetic extraction process. _I hope I don't pass out this time,_ Vader had thought ruefully, expecting it to be hideously painful; but to his surprise, it barely hurt at all. _Wow; I guess they've really gotten better at that since the last time I tried it._ In fact, when it was over, Vader felt perfectly fine, and he spent the next few hours anxiously pacing the hallways of the laboratory as his clone was produced.

_I'll need to give it my armor, and have it fitted with mechanical limbs, the same as my own,_ he had thought, planning to make the switch. _And I'll need to find some other clothes to wear myself,_ he sighed; he hadn't expected to go through with this so quickly, but was admittedly excited by the prospect. _Ugh, I'll try to find something with a hood,_ Vader thought, somewhat dreading the idea of being seen in public.

_But that's no big deal,_ he had assured himself. _The important thing is, this clone is going to live another - what? Fifty, sixty years,_ he realized, blinking in amazement at the concept. _It will be able to protect Leia - and Luke - much longer than I ever could myself,_ he confessed.

_And I'm actually going to get away from this stupid job?_ Vader had realized, hardly believing it. _I'm still dying, but... I've got five years left,_ he told himself. _Though I have no idea where I will go, or what I will do,_ he admitted. _But there's time to figure that out._

A few hours later, the doctor had found him in the hallway. "It's finished," he had told Vader, smiling. "Would you like to see it?"

_Gah... Not really,_ Vader had confessed; he knew that his clone would look exactly as _he_ did, with hideous scars and stunted limbs. _It's not going to be a pretty sight,_ he sighed; but he had nodded quietly, following the doctor back into the lab.

But nothing had prepared him for the creature that he suddenly beheld, lying unconscious on the hospital bed before him. "What - ?" Vader had gasped in alarm. "What did you do?" This clone looked nothing like him; it had arms, legs, skin, hair, and was about twenty years younger... _Holy crap!_ Vader blinked, surprised and confused. _How'd he do that?_

"This is your clone," the doctor had explained. "It's all ready to go," he assured him.

"But..." Vader's heart sank. _This isn't going to work. That thing will NEVER pass for me._ "I thought... I thought it was going to look like _me,_" he told the doctor helplessly.

"Ohhhhh," the doctor said, nodding. "Not a problem; we can arrange that, if you'd like," he assured him. "I would need to graft your skin and mechanical limbs onto the clone; and we can harvest its own parts for yourself," the doctor suggested.

_Harvest?_ Vader had blinked in dismay. _Aagghh..._ He knew that clones had been used for decades for such purposes, but had always found the idea revolting. _If I'd wanted to fix up my own burns and stuff, I'd have done it years ago anyway._

Still, Vader had admitted that it would be easier for him to escape notice if he actually _had_ a face, rather than the pale, saggy, blobby disaster that his own had become over the years. _Maybe I wouldn't get stared at,_ he confessed. As for 'harvesting' the clone's limbs... _Well, if they're going to be thrown out anyway?_ he thought; but then he shuddered. _Gah, that is disgusting._

As for the clone itself, Vader had realized that this poor creature was about to get butchered, flayed, turned into a hideous monster, and then sent back to do the most miserable job in the entire galaxy. Even worse, when it awoke, it would have all of Vader's memories, all of his knowledge, all of his guilt, his pain, his darkness and despair... _What did he ever do to deserve that?_ Vader had wondered unhappily.

_He looks so peaceful,_ Vader had thought, feeling pity for the poor creature. _But when he wakes up he's going to be like me._ And Vader knew how that felt. Sometimes he dreamed that everything was all right; that he was with Padme and the children, and the galaxy was at peace. But then he would wake up, and have to face the soul-crushing truth: that he had killed Padme, that his children hated him, and that the galaxy was in the hands of the Sith, because he himself had destroyed the Jedi Order.

_That creature lying there is innocent,_ Vader had realized, sickened by what he was even considering. _And now I'm going to have him chopped to pieces, turned into a monster, sent back to clean up the mess I made... and leave him to believe that it's all HIS fault?_ Vader's heart sank. _I can't do it,_ he had admitted unhappily. _I wouldn't wish my life on anyone else. Not even a clone._

"Sir?" the doctor had asked politely. "Shall I make preparations for the transplant surgery?"

Vader had sighed unhappily. _Maybe I should; for Leia,_ he had thought, remembering his original reason for doing this. But then the answer had become suddenly clear. _No,_ he had realized. _Leia would never approve of this; not even to save her own life._

"I'll give you a moment," the doctor said. "Let me know what you decide - "

"No," Vader had interrupted him, making his decision. "He's perfect," he had assured the doctor. "I'll take him the way he is."

_But before he wakes up, I will do him one favor,_ Vader had decided regretfully, placing a hand on the young creature's head, then closing his own eyes. "Forget," Vader had said quietly, performing a complete mind wipe. A Jedi mind wipe was permanent, and irreversible; sometimes Vader wished he could do one on himself. "You're welcome," Vader had whispered to the clone afterward, with a wry smile.

He had paid the doctor for his services, and covered his tracks, encouraging him to forget the incident; and then he had awakened his young clone, leading the stumbling, witless creature out onto the streets of Coruscant.

_Now what?_ Vader had asked himself. He knew he couldn't bring the clone back with him; Sidious would never approve, and would probably order it to be killed. They were outside a large hospital complex now, in a relatively safe area; it was well past midnight, but Vader could see a woman in a nurse's uniform approaching from the parking area now. _She will find help for him._

"Go," Vader had whispered to his clone, pushing him in the direction of the approaching nurse. The creature had stared blankly, not understanding his words; but it obeyed his Force-command, and stumbled off aimlessly into the night. _Be happy,_ Vader had thought wistfully. _Live a better life than I have._ And with a final wave of his fingers, he had left him to find his own destiny.

Vader himself had returned to work, feeling foolish over his botched attempt at cloning. But he'd tried his best to forget about it these past two years, and had focused his efforts once again on his own job of being the Worst Sith Lord Ever.

_I still have three years left,_ Vader reassured himself now, flying away from Coruscant and continuing on his journey toward Endor. _Three years; and Sidious is being lenient with me,_ he admitted gratefully. _I will do all that I can to help my children, in the time that is left to me._

Deep down, Vader liked to believe that he lived to serve one final purpose, and that death would not take him until he had fulfilled his destiny; but ironically, that sort of delusional thinking was also a symptom of LTWTL itself.

_No,_ Vader told himself stubbornly once again. _There is something I am meant to do. I live to keep my children safe,_ he felt certain. _I will not give in to this stupid, idiotic disease until Sidious is dead,_ he vowed darkly.

As for his health, Vader was not doing too badly, all things considered. He had definitely slowed down, though. He got tired easily, and found exercise too exhausting; he'd grown noticeably weaker over these past two years, though he did his best to hide it.

_But if it gets worse..._ Vader sighed worriedly. _If my children are still in danger, and I'm unable to help them any more?_ He shook his head unhappily, confessing that cloning was still an option, if circumstances became so dire.

_Maybe I should have gone through with it, before,_ Vader confessed, thinking how different things might be now, if he had. That had been two years ago; Obi-Wan had still been alive at the time. _I could have joined him, and worked WITH him, instead of killing him,_ he thought unhappily, still heartbroken over what he'd done. _And I could have helped my children - on BOTH sides of the battle,_ Vader realized, though the whole idea confused him a bit.

But what was done was done, and he tried not to think about it too much. As for the clone he'd made, Vader admitted that he'd handled that whole situation badly. _I left him wandering the streets in a hospital gown, looking for all the world like an escaped mental patient,_ Vader sighed regretfully, wondering what had become of the poor witless creature. _He's probably locked up somewhere, confused and lost._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Johnny was locked up somewhere, confused and lost. He'd spent the last several days in the custody of the Rebels, sometimes blindfolded, sometimes shackled, several times transported from one holding cell to another. He didn't even know what planet he was on, much less what they intended to do with him. But they hadn't killed him yet; he took that as a good sign.

The Rebels had interrogated him three times so far, asking him the same stupid questions over and over again. They all seemed to assume that he had some kind of ulterior motive for stowing aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, and refused to believe that he was simply John Doe, Worst Stormtrooper Ever.

_How do I get myself into these messes,_ Johnny sighed, looking out the tiny window of his cell and wondering what would happen to him next.


	8. Johnny goes AWOL

**Chapter 8**

"That's about all she can hold," Han announced, coming down the _Falcon's_ ramp. "We'll have to load the rest of the supplies onto the other freighters," he told Luke and Chewie matter-of-factly; but his tone became sarcastic as Leia approached. "Hey, Your Worship! Nice of you to join us, now that we're finished," he said, gesturing to his fully-loaded ship. "So how'd the meeting go - we ready to move out of here?"

"Yes," Leia replied, dreading the conversation they were about to have. "General Dodonna says the new permanent base site is ready; we're to begin preparations for our final move immediately."

"Already done," Han pointed out smugly. "So... Where to?"

Leia sighed. "Han," she said quietly, glancing toward the _Falcon_. "Can I talk to you in private?"

A roguish grin crossed his face. "Of course, Your Princessness," Han agreed, gesturing dramatically. "Come right aboard."

Leia shook her head wearily, following him up the ramp. _He is impossible._ She'd only known Han for a little over a week now, but every conversation they had quickly degenerated into heated bickering. _And he's not going to like what I have to say._

"So, your Highness," Han said, giving her a questioning look. "What's going on?"

"We're ready to begin the final move to our new base," Leia told him quietly; then she looked down. _May as well just say it._ "Han, you're not cleared to make this trip," she told him regretfully.

"I'm not - I'm not _cleared?_" Han repeated, in disbelief. "We just spent four hours loading the _Falcon_ with crap for your precious new base - and _I'm not cleared_ to take it there?"

"I'm sorry," Leia apologized. "It wasn't my decision."

Han shook his head in disgust, heading back outside. "I'm not cleared... Terrific," he grumbled, continuing down the ramp. "You might have mentioned that to me four hours ago," he reproached her. "But no, that's okay... It's no problem; right, Chewie?"

"Rrraaauuuughhhh?" Chewie replied, questioning him.

"Turns out we're not cleared to deliver this stuff to her Worshipfulness's new top secret base," Han told him, frustrated. "Come on, let's unload all this junk and get the hell out of here."

"Aaaauuuurrrrrghhhhh," Chewie moaned unhappily, following him up the ramp. "Rrrauurrrr Rarrrrghh Rrraaaauuurrghhh!"

"Yeah, you said it, Chewie," Han agreed, disappearing inside the _Falcon_ once again.

Luke stared after them worriedly. "What was that about?"

Leia shook her head regretfully. "General Dodonna and Mon Mothma are tightening security for the final move to our new base," she told Luke. "No one outside the Rebel Alliance is allowed to know the location."

"Oh," Luke said, nodding sadly. They'd known all along that Han and Chewie needed to get back to Tatooine, but they'd gotten used to their company this past week; now that the time for goodbyes had come, Leia felt the same sudden heartache and regret that she could see in Luke's eyes. _I know,_ she agreed, giving him a commiserative smile. _I'm going to miss them too._

_But first I'm going to let them cool off a bit,_ Leia decided, sighing unhappily as Han and Chewie reappeared in the _Falcon's_ doorway, carrying a large crate back down the ramp. _This is going to take them a while anyway,_ she confessed with regret.

"There's something I need to take care of," Leia apologized to Luke, who nodded quietly. "I'll be back to help in a few minutes."

She continued on through the hangar, as the rest of the Rebel troops prepared for the journey to their new base, loading whatever supplies they could carry onto their ships. The move would be completed in two trips; Leia had been asked to stay behind tonight, along with a skeleton crew, to oversee the facility here on Lok until the freighters could return tomorrow to load the final shipment.

General Dodonna had also asked her to check up on the prisoner that they were holding here on Lok. Han had discovered a stowaway Stormtrooper hiding aboard the _Falcon_ a week ago; Dodonna and Mon Mothma had both attempted to interrogate him, with little success. Over the past week the Rebels had moved twice - first to Thiel, then here to Lok - and there hadn't been time to deal with the prisoner. He'd been kept locked up, and brought with them from base to base; but Dodonna had been handling his transfers, and Leia herself had not seen him yet.

But General Dodonna was already at their new base on Anobis now, and he had asked Leia to check up on the prisoner, to see if perhaps he was ready to talk. So far, he had apparently been giving them blatantly false answers, claiming that his name was John Doe, and feigning amnesia when asked any questions about his personal background.

_Maybe a week in a holding cell has changed his attitude,_ Leia sighed, continuing on through the hallway to question the prisoner. For one thing was certain: their mysterious captive was no mere Stormtrooper. The tracking device he had planted aboard the _Falcon_ was specially modified, and Han insisted that there absolutely no way anyone could "accidentally" find their way into his secret smuggling compartment. These were the marks of a highly-trained spy; both Dodonna and Mothma suspected that this "John Doe" was in fact a secret Imperial agent, much higher up in the chain of command than he claimed to be.

Leia arrived at his cell now, and smiled at the Rebel soldier who was standing guard. "I'd like to speak with the prisoner."

"Of course, Your Highness," the man said, turning to open the door. "One moment; I'll need to secure him," he warned her. Leia waited in the hallway as the guard instructed the prisoner to sit with his hands behind his back; then he came back out, nodding confidently. "He's all yours," he told Leia. "I'll be right out here if you need me."

"Thank you," Leia said, heading inside the cell. The prisoner sat handcuffed to a chair, wearing an orange Rebel jumpsuit; he looked up at her now, a hopeful but guarded look in his dark blue eyes. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, tall and lanky, with rather unruly, medium-length golden-brown hair; he looked more like a Nerf herder than a secret agent, but Leia knew he was not to be underestimated.

_This is the individual responsible for leading the Empire to Yavin IV,_ she knew. The Rebels had managed to keep their previous base safely hidden for over two years; this one man had accomplished what Vader, Tarkin, Palpatine, and the entire Imperial Fleet had not managed to do before. _And he's claiming it was an 'accident',_ Leia sighed, recalling Dodonna's warning.

But she managed a half-smile now, taking a seat across from the prisoner. "Hello," she said, attempting to be polite. "I'm Leia Organa of - " she broke off involuntarily, the heart-wrenching realization hitting her once again. _Leia Organa of Nowhere._ "Alderaan," she forced herself to continue, fixing her gaze on the prisoner. _Though if you're an Imperial spy, you know that already._

"Hello," the prisoner replied; his blue eyes looked regretful and wary at the same time.

"And you are...?" Leia asked, though she didn't expect to get a straight answer.

"Um... TK-421," the prisoner replied meekly.

"Your _real_ name?" Leia asked him.

He sighed, looking down. "John Doe," he said, meeting Leia's gaze momentarily; his look was apologetic.

Leia shook her head, sighing wearily. _This isn't going to work._ General Dodonna was looking into getting a lie detector machine; they would be able to question the prisoner more effectively once they settled into their new base on Anobis.

Still, she had promised Dodonna that she'd at least _try_ to question him; Leia had very good instincts, and could usually tell when people were lying. _I'll get right to the point, and see how he reacts,_ she decided.

"So, _John,_" Leia continued. "The tracking device you planted aboard the _Millennium Falcon_... Was that Vader's idea, or Tarkin's?"

"Um..." The prisoner gulped, looking down. "Lord Vader sent me," he confessed reluctantly.

_Really?_ Leia blinked, surprised; she had suspected Tarkin had been behind that little scheme. _Though he could be lying..._ "So Vader sent you," she repeated, trying to make sense of it. "Why did he have you stow aboard the ship?"

"He _didn't_," the young man insisted. "I fell in there, by accident."

Leia rolled her eyes. _Here we go again._ "It was an accident; right," she sighed. "So now that you're 'accidentally' here at our secret base... What is it that you want?" she asked him.

"What do I want?" the prisoner repeated, baffled by the question. "I want - I want to go home," he said pathetically; his voice caught a bit, and his eyes glistened with tears for a moment, before he blinked them away, self-conscious.

_Oh, he's good,_ Leia thought; she could almost _feel_ his helpless despair. _But it's all an act,_ she realized. _He's playing innocent, hoping we'll feel sorry for him, and just let him go... Straight back to Vader, with inside information about our operations._

"Home," Leia repeated, her heart aching bitterly once again. _Don't talk to me about wanting to go home._ "So tell me," she pressed him, unsympathetic. "Where does the Doe family hail from?"

The prisoner sighed, shaking his head. "I'm from Coruscant," he replied unhappily.

"Coruscant," Leia said. "The headquarters of Emperor Palpatine himself," she pointed out. "Is _that_ who you're working for?"

He shrugged helplessly. "I guess," he agreed. "But - " he looked up at her, his blue eyes apologetic. "I hate it; I swear," he told Leia. "I've only been working as a Stormtrooper for two months, and - it's the worst job I've ever had," he insisted. "I hate what happened, to Alderaan," he blurted out apologetically. "It makes me sick - "

"We're finished," Leia interrupted him coldly, her eyes blazing with anger. _Don't you even try to get to me that way._ "Guard," she called out, knocking loudly on the door. _Get me away from this manipulative creep._ She was fighting tears, and tried to blink them away, ashamed by her own vulnerability. "Thank you," she said quietly to the guard, exiting the detention cell and continuing back through the hallway.

_That went well,_ Leia berated herself unhappily, heading back to the docking bay. But she had to agree with General Dodonna and Mon Mothma's assessment: their prisoner was a highly-trained spy, a special Imperial agent, possibly even working for Emperor Palpatine himself. He was a master of deceit, and manipulation; Leia had sensed absolutely no lies from him, and had nearly fallen for his act.

_He's trying to gain our trust,_ Leia knew. _To catch us off-guard, and learn whatever secrets he can from us, before we let him go._ General Dodonna was right to keep him under maximum security lockdown; the prisoner would be staying here on Lok tonight, and Dodonna would be returning tomorrow to personally oversee his transfer to their new base on Anobis.

_I don't want anything more to do with him,_ Leia admitted, grateful that Dodonna was handling the situation. But as she neared the docking bay, her heart grew heavy once again, and she realized that the time had come to say goodbye to Han and Chewbacca.

_There have been too many goodbyes this past week,_ Leia confessed, thinking not only of her own family, but of the brave Rebel pilots who had lost their lives in the assault against the Death Star. _And there would have been hundreds more, if Han hadn't come back when he did,_ she knew. Leia smiled wistfully now, profoundly grateful to Han and Chewie for saving Luke's life at the last moment, and buying him those final seconds to launch his torpedo at the Death Star. _And now he's leaving..._

_All right, then; no more bickering,_ Leia resolved with a rueful smile, as she continued toward the docking bay. _I will thank him for everything that he's done, and if he takes a jab at me - I won't lash back,_ she reproached herself. _I am a princess; I need to behave like one,_ Leia confessed, amused and touched by Han's uncanny ability to make her completely forget her own manners. _I'm really going to miss him._

But as she entered the docking bay, she blinked in surprise and dismay, her heart sinking. The _Millennium Falcon_ was gone, and in its place was a disorganized array of hastily-dumped crates and other supplies.

_He left already?_ Leia realized unhappily, tears stinging her eyes. _He left... without even saying goodbye?_ Luke was sorting through the mess now, helping to load the abandoned supplies onto one of the other freighters; he looked up now, seeing Leia approach.

"He, um..." Luke gestured apologetically toward the hangar's exit. "He wasn't too happy," he admitted, giving Leia a sympathetic smile.

Leia nodded quietly; she could see the sadness in Luke's eyes as well. _He's been really quiet today,_ she realized; usually Luke could be found hanging out with Wedge and the other pilots, but today he seemed detached, and sad. "Hey," she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving him a questioning look. "What is it?"

"Oh," Luke said, looking down at the floor. "I um..." he gulped, shaking his head. "I asked Mon Mothma earlier, if she - if she ever met my father," Luke confessed, giving Leia an apologetic look.

"And?" Leia asked; she knew that Luke had been questioning some of the older Rebel Alliance members, such as General Dodonna and Vanden Willard, hoping that one of them might have known his father.

"No," Luke said sadly. "She said she never met him," he told Leia. "Though she'd _heard_ of him," he laughed unhappily. "They've all _heard_ of him, but - " he shook his head. "My aunt and uncle would never talk about him," Luke confessed. "I don't even know what he looked like."

Leia gave him a regretful smile. "I'm sorry, Luke." _I never knew my real parents either._

Luke nodded appreciatively, looking down. "I wish - Ben would talk to me," he added hesitantly. Leia blinked in concern; ever since Ben's death, Luke had been claiming to hear his voice inside his head, from time to time. He even swore that he'd seen the old man's body vanish when he died; Luke was obviously deeply traumatized from the stress of what he'd seen, and Leia was worried for him.

_My father told me a lot of stories about the Jedi,_ Leia sighed. _What Luke claims to have seen isn't normal._ Her adoptive father had taught her all about the Old Republic, and the Jedi Order; Leia had heard many tales of brave Jedi Knights, and their incredible powers. But never once had Bail mentioned that the Jedi vanished upon dying, or could speak to each other telepathically. _This isn't right,_ she knew.

But she nodded, giving Luke an understanding smile. _He'll stop hearing voices, once he gets over the trauma of this past week._ Then she remembered something, that she'd been meaning to tell Luke. "You know... My father mentioned Anakin Skywalker to me, a couple of times," Leia said gently. "He only spoke of him once or twice, but... he said that he was one of the best," she assured Luke, smiling.

Luke smiled sadly. "Yeah... That's what everyone says," he agreed. "Except - " he blinked, clearly dismayed.

"What is it?" Leia asked.

"Mon Mothma just told me... that the Jedi weren't allowed to - to get married," Luke blurted out, shaking his head. _Oh... that._ Leia nodded quietly, sensing his pain. "I didn't know," he said helplessly. "So - I just found out I'm illegitimate," Luke confessed, with a sad laugh. "That must be why my mother didn't want me; and why my aunt and uncle would never talk about either of them," he sighed.

"Oh, Luke," Leia said gently, giving him a hug. "I'm sorry." She held him close for a moment, trying to comfort him; but they were interrupted by an announcement over the loudspeaker.

_"All personnel, to your transports. We are preparing for take-off."_

_Perfect timing, as always..._ "Are you all right?" Leia asked, peering into his eyes worriedly.

Luke managed a rueful smile. "Of course," he assured her, with a little laugh. "Why wouldn't I be all right?" This had been a crazy week, and Leia returned his smile now, hugging him once again.

"Take care of yourself," she told him, as they said goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay... You too," Luke said, with a shy smile; and then he turned to leave, heading over to his X-wing fighter.

_I'm glad that at least Luke is staying with us,_ Leia confessed, still troubled by Han's departure. _Not that he really has anywhere else to go,_ she admitted with a rueful sigh, watching Luke take off from the docking bay with the other fighters. _We are his family now._

Leia said her goodbyes to Vanden Willard and Mon Mothma, as they prepared the rest of the fleet for takeoff; and ten minutes later, she was left alone in the docking bay, with only a skeleton crew remaining behind to guard the facility for the night.

_I could use a little quiet time,_ Leia confessed, heading back to the command center. And she knew exactly how she would spend the evening; she'd been looking forward to this moment all afternoon, ever since learning that she would be left behind here on Lok.

Sitting down at the computer terminal, Leia brought up a HoloNet search program, and typed in "Alderaan."

_Alderaan: 194,396 results,_ the search program proclaimed. Leia smiled wistfully, looking through pictures of her home planet. She'd lost all of her own family pictures when Alderaan was destroyed; but thankfully there were thousands of pictures of the royal castle and Organa family, preserved here in the HoloNet's news archives. Leia even found a few of herself as a young princess, and smiled fondly, remembering happier times.

_I'm lucky that my foster parents were King and Queen,_ Leia admitted, thinking of Luke once again. _He lost his family too, but he won't find any pictures of them here on the HoloNet._ She tried anyway, out of curiosity; but her search for "Lars - Tatooine" came up empty.

Then an idea came to her, and she typed in a new search. _Maybe I can find a picture of Luke's father._ By all accounts he had been a great Jedi Knight; Leia hoped to find a picture of him from the old news archives, as a surprise for Luke. _That will cheer him up._

But she sighed regretfully as once again, the search came up empty: _Anakin Skywalker: No results._

_I guess he wasn't all that famous after all,_ Leia admitted. _But Ben was,_ she knew; her father had told her that General Kenobi had been an important leader during the Clone Wars. She typed in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" now, and found hundreds of old pictures and news articles documenting his illustrious career as a Jedi Knight. _Luke would love to see these,_ she knew, resolving to show him when they had a moment.

But then she frowned, noticing something odd; many of the pictures were not loading, as if the files had been deleted. And as she scanned through the news articles, she began to notice another telltale sign of Imperial interference: the word [Censored] appeared throughout the articles, where information had been removed.

_"A Brave Victory By Obi-Wan Kenobi and [Censored]",_ one headline proclaimed. And the next: _"General Kenobi and [Censored] Rescue the Chancellor!"_ Leia scanned through dozens of articles, noting that wherever Obi-Wan Kenobi was mentioned, another name had been deleted. She sighed regretfully; the Empire was always trying to rewrite history, and censored anything that painted them in a negative light.

_So who was it?_ Leia wondered. Who had angered the Sith regime so profoundly that all mention of his name had been obliterated from history? _Master Yoda?_ she thought, typing in his name; but thousands of results came up. _Mace Windu?_ Again, thousands of results.

And then it hit her. _Anakin Skywalker,_ she typed once again. _No results._

_Wow,_ Leia realized, her eyes widening. _Someone high up in the Empire really hated Anakin Skywalker._ And Leia had a pretty good idea who it was. _My father said that Vader was injured in a fight against a Jedi,_ she recalled, though Bail had only spoken of it once. _It was Anakin,_ Leia guessed now. Luke had told her that Vader murdered his father; but it looked as though Anakin had nearly taken Vader down with him.

_Wait until Luke hears about this,_ Leia thought, smiling in proud disbelief; but then her smile instantly faded as she realized the implications. Luke's father had scarred Vader for life, causing hideous disfigurement and putting him in that dreaded suit. _And if Vader hated Anakin Skywalker enough to obliterate his name from history...?_ Leia shuddered, not wanting to imagine what he might do to his son.

_Oh, crap,_ Leia thought, blinking anxiously. _What if he already knows?_ She quickly typed in "Luke Skywalker," praying that he had managed to escape public attention thus far. _Luke Skywalker: No results,_ the search program assured her. Leia sighed in relief; she had been following the news closely lately, and thankfully no one had reported the name of the Rebel pilot responsible for destroying the Death Star.

But now she sensed something, and cocked her head, listening intently. _What's that?_ Something was wrong; she could _feel_ it. Frowning worriedly, she got up from the computer, heading quickly out to the hall to investigate; then gasped suddenly as a huge explosion shook the facility. Alarms were going off, and she heard an urgent shout from the docking bay, followed by the unmistakable sound of TIE fighters swooping in.

_We're under attack._ As commander in charge of the station, it was Leia's job to begin the emergency protocol. Running back into the command center, she grabbed the intercom to instruct the others. "All personnel report to the docking bay for immediate evacuation," Leia warned them urgently. "Secure the prisoner; prepare for evasive - "

She was cut off as another blast wave ripped through the command center, throwing her violently against the wall; and then the ceiling was crashing down on top of her, as the entire facility collapsed in the next explosion.

Leia quickly scrambled to find a safe spot, wedging herself between two fallen support beams. She covered her head as the building crashed down around her in the wake of the explosion, but luckily the support beams held, protecting her from the falling rubble.

_This isn't going to end well,_ Leia knew, her heart sinking as she realized many of their crew had probably already been killed. Coughing and choking on dust, she tried to crawl out from the rubble now, before the Stormtroopers landed. But she was stuck; the support beams that protected her from the collapse had done their job a little _too_ well, and now she was trapped beneath them.

_Come on,_ Leia chided herself, pushing with all her might against a section of broken wall. _Move..._ She strained against it, coughing and choking on the dust that filled the air; she managed to budge it a little bit, and stopped to catch her breath for another attempt. _All right; one more push..._ And to her surprise, it fell away now, much more easily than she had expected.

"Are you all right?" asked an urgent voice above her. Leia smiled in relief, catching a glimpse of an orange Rebel uniform as a hand reached down now, helping her out from beneath the rubble. "You okay?" her rescuer asked again worriedly.

"I'm fine," Leia assured him quickly, looking around; then her heart sank as she saw a giant crater where the docking bay had been a minute earlier. _Most of the crew was in there, when it got hit._ But at least one other had survived, and she turned to him now. "Come on," Leia instructed him urgently. "We have to get out of here, before they - "

She broke off suddenly, realizing who she was talking to. _Oh, crap._ For her rescuer was none other than John Doe, the one person in this facility that she did _not_ wish to be rescued by.

"Come on," the Imperial spy ordered her now, taking her by the arm and helping her climb over the rubble. "There's a ship over this way!" _Nooooo..._ Leia struggled against him, looking around helplessly for signs of other survivors; but he grabbed her now, hoisting her over a pile of debris and then setting her down again, before continuing to drag her along. "Hurry," he warned her. "They'll see us!"

_What?_ Leia blinked at him in confusion. "Aren't they your friends?" she pointed out, glancing up at the Star Destroyer overhead, the armored transport that was now coming in for a landing, and the fleet of TIE fighters that continued to swoop around the area.

"Uh, not with me wearing _this,_" he confessed, with a rueful glance at the bright orange Rebel uniform he was wearing. "Come on; let's get out of here," he urged her, as they arrived at the side lot, where several older Rebel fighter ships were parked.

_Great,_ Leia sighed, unimpressed. _I'm getting captured by a guy who's under attack by his own team._ But, realizing she had little choice, she followed him to one of the ships, then climbed into the passenger's seat as he held the door open for her.

"You fly," Spy Boy ordered her. "I'll get the weapons."

_Of course,_ Leia sighed; it was standard hijacking procedure. _You fly, while I hold you at gunpoint._ But Leia had a better idea. "No; _you_ fly," she countered, pulling the hidden blaster from the passenger's side holster. "_I've_ got the weapons," she pointed out, training it on him.

"No, you - " Special Agent Doe sighed. "Please, just fly this thing," he begged her anxiously. "We have to get out of here."

In truth, Leia _would_ have preferred to simply fly away, leaving her decidedly inept captor in the dust; but there was one problem with that plan. "I can't," she told him unhappily. "I don't know how to fly."

"You don't - you don't know how to fly?" He blinked in confusion.

"No," Leia said, scowling. "I haven't got my license yet." _I AM a spoiled princess,_ she admitted with a rueful sigh. Most kids couldn't wait to get their pilot's license as soon as they turned eighteen; but Leia was already nineteen, and still hadn't gotten around to it. _I never bothered, because I've always had other people to do it for me,_ she confessed regretfully.

"Crap," Agent Doe muttered worriedly. "I don't know how to fly either."

"What?" Leia asked, staring at him in disbelief. _What kind of special agent doesn't have his pilot's license?_

"I'm serious; I don't know how," Spy Boy apologized. "Come on; they're landing," he pointed out anxiously, as an armed transport full of Stormtroopers set down on the other side of the destroyed facility. "Please tell me you can do this."

Leia glanced at the fighter's controls; it was an older ship, and she shook her head sadly, admitting she had no clue. _I can't even fly a regular ship with automatic transmission, much less a stick shift._ "Sorry," she said unhappily. "I really can't."

"Aaaghh," Spy Boy sighed, slipping quickly into the pilot's seat and closing the door. "I've _fixed_ these things before," he told her, blinking uncertainly. "I think I can get the engine started, at least."

_You've got to be kidding me,_ Leia thought, still in denial over her captor's ineptitude. _You really don't know how to fly?_

"Okay," Super Spy muttered to himself, getting his bearings. "Clutch - shift - first gear - ignition - gas... Yes!" he said, as the engine sputtered to life. Then: "No," he sighed unhappily, as it immediately stalled, lurching abruptly. "Crap... Okay: Clutch - ignition... _Please,_" he begged, as the engine started again.

"All right; ease up on the clutch, give it a little gas... There we go!" Spy Boy said, as the engine revved louder; but then he frowned. "Why aren't we going anywhere?"

Leia sighed. _I have no idea._ "Parking brake?"

"Oh! Parking brake," Agent Doe agreed, releasing it now, as they suddenly lurched forward. "Yeah, that was it!" he said, grinning.

Leia blinked in disbelief. _Is this guy for real?_

"Okay," Spy Boy said, as they continued to roll slowly forward. "Clutch - shift - second gear - gas... Come on," he pleaded, as the ship lurched again, going a bit faster. "Yes!" he said. "Okay: Clutch - shift - third gear - gas... Woooooo!" he cheered, as the fighter became airborne, lifting a few feet off the ground. "Oh, crap," he muttered. "How do I steer? Push? Pull? Yeah; pull to go up," he quickly determined.

_This is... unbelievable,_ Leia thought, utterly confused. _He has to be the worst spy ever._

"Here we go: Clutch - shift - fourth gear - gas... All right," Spy Boy said confidently, as they continued to gain altitude. "I think I'm getting the hang of this! Clutch - shift - fifth gear - " Suddenly the ship lurched as they were struck by blaster fire. "Crap, what was that?"

"We're under attack," Leia informed him, looking back to see a platoon of Stormtroopers running their way, firing at them from the ground; the TIE fighters would be on them before long. "Are you sure you don't want to call off your friends? This thing _does_ have a radio," she pointed out. _Seriously: you could just turn me in, and save yourself the trouble._

"Ahh," Agent Doe sighed. "I doubt they'd listen to me," he confessed. "And anyway, you'll be captured; they'll take you back to Vader," he warned her, blinking unhappily. _And that worries you... why?_ Leia thought, confused. _Who IS this guy? _"Come on... Clutch - shift - sixth gear - gas... Ahh, hurry!"

"Can you go to lightspeed?" Leia asked; the TIE fighters were swooping in on them.

"Um... I have to get up to twenty-fifth gear first," Spy Boy told her.

"Good Lord," Leia sighed, setting down her blaster and quickly taking control of the fighter's weapons. "I'm going to shoot down your little buddies here," she warned him. "You okay with that?"

"Um... Yeah," he said regretfully. "I'll try to get to lightspeed; just hold them off for a minute... Okay, clutch - shift - seventh gear - gas," he continued, focusing intently. "Clutch - shift - eighth gear..."

The first of the TIE fighters was closing in on them now, and Leia targeted it, then fired. "One down," she told Spy Boy. "About a hundred to go," she added, glancing at the Star Destroyer in the distance; it wouldn't be long before reinforcements arrived.

"Good job," he told her, nodding appreciatively. "Clutch - shift - eleventh gear - gas," he muttered to himself. "Clutch - shift - twelfth gear - gas... Clutch - shift - thirteenth gear..."

_Well, he's doing better than I would have,_ Leia confessed; but she was admittedly confused by his course of action. _Why didn't he just surrender to them?_ she wondered. _They would have taken us both into custody, and sorted this all out._

"Clutch - shift - fourteenth gear - gas..."

_Maybe he's not a special agent after all,_ Leia began to realize. _Maybe he's just... special. _"Can I ask you a question?" she inquired, targeting another TIE fighter in her scope and shooting it down.

"Sure," Super Spy agreed, still concentrating on his flying. "Shift - fifteenth gear - gas... Clutch - shift - sixteenth gear..."

"Who the heck _are_ you?" Leia asked him, completely baffled.

"Aside from the worst pilot ever?" Spy Boy admitted, laughing; with every gear shift they lurched horribly, and Leia could hear the engine grinding from the stress. "Clutch - shift - nineteenth gear - gas - clutch," he reminded himself. "Um - yeah, my name's Johnny," he told her, with an apologetic grin. "I'm an Ex-Stormtrooper."

Leia sighed, shaking her head. "Ex-Stormtrooper," she laughed quietly. "All right, Flyboy; how close are we to going to lightspeed?" _Because we've got a Star Destroyer closing in on us now,_ she realized worriedly; but her pilot didn't need any more stress, so she kept that little detail to herself.

"Uh, we're in twenty-first gear," he told her, continuing to accelerate as fast as he could. "Four more to go... You got the coordinates?"

"Yeah, I've got them," Leia said, setting a course for Rothana. _We have an abandoned outpost there,_ she knew; under the circumstances she decided it was far too risky to try to get to their new base on Anobis. _I doubt this ship would even make it that far,_ Leia admitted.

"Clutch - shift - twenty-fourth gear," Johnny was saying now. "Clutch - shift - twenty-fifth gear - gas... Okay, here we go," he said, giving Leia an apprehensive cringe. "Clutch - shift - Lightspeed - gas - " And the stars turned to streaks as they shot off into hyperspace.

"Woooooo!" Johnny cheered. "It worked! It actually worked!" he babbled. "That was awesome... I can't believe it!"

Leia laughed in amusement, shaking her head. But then they both frowned worriedly as they heard an ominous clunk, followed by a hissing noise; then the stars returned to their normal places as they came out of lightspeed, stalling and free-floating through space.

"Crap," Johnny muttered. "Okay; start over, I guess," he sighed ruefully. "All right: clutch - shift - first gear...?"

"What?" Leia asked, seeing his disturbed frown.

"It won't shift down," Johnny said. "It's stuck in high gear; on Lightspeed... Crap, I think I wore out the clutch," he told her anxiously. "I can't even get it started again." The ship was floating aimlessly in space now, on emergency reserve power; Leia knew they only had about twenty minutes before they would lose life support. But at least they had gotten some distance from the Star Destroyer, for the moment.

"Now what?" Johnny asked worriedly, giving Leia a helpless look. "Do you know anybody you can call?"

Leia shook her head once again, baffled by his behavior. _One call, and he could have his Imperial buddies come pick us up,_ she knew. _And he'd be promoted, for helping to capture me._

"Come on," Johnny pleaded again. "There must be somebody you know?"

Leia sighed quietly, thinking it over; the Rebel fleet was halfway across the galaxy now, and there was no way any of them could make it back here in twenty minutes. _But there is one person who can,_ she realized. "Yes, I know someone," she told Johnny, picking up the transmitter. _Though he's not going to be happy about this,_ Leia sighed apprehensively, dialing the number.

"Solo," came the terse reply.

"Han... it's Leia."

"Ahh, your Worshipfulness!" Han replied, obviously annoyed. "What the hell do you want?"

"I - want to apologize," Leia began.

"Save it, Princess," he told her. "I got my money; I'm on my way to pay off Jabba now."

Leia sighed regretfully. "How long do you think that will take?"

"I don't know... an hour," Han estimated. "Why?"

Leia shook her head. "Because I've - broken down; not far from Tatooine," she confessed. "The ship's on emergency reserve power; we've got about twenty minutes left before life support fails."

She heard a sigh on the other end. "Coordinates?"

Leia read them off to him.

"All right," Han said. "I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Han," Leia said apologetically.

"Uh huh."

Johnny gave her a hesitant look, as she switched off the transmitter. "He sounds friendly."

"Yes; very," Leia agreed.

"That's not - the captain of...?"

"The _Millennium Falcon;_ yes," Leia told him.

"Great," Johnny sighed unhappily. "Home sweet home."

Leia laughed, quietly amused. "So you really just... fell in there?" she asked him, baffled. "By accident?"

"Yeah," Johnny nodded ruefully. "Well I was curious about the wires, and I was looking to see where they all went, and then - " he shrugged helplessly. "It wasn't one of my most brilliant moments," he confessed.

_No kidding._ "And... Your name really is John Doe?" Leia asked him, trying to understand.

"Yes," Johnny said. "Well, no; probably not," he admitted. "But - I wasn't lying, before," he told her apologetically. "I really do have amnesia. I don't remember anything before two years ago," he told her, shrugging.

Leia nodded quietly, finally believing him. A few hours ago, his story had sounded so fantastical, she couldn't accept it; but that was before she had seen him in action. _He really is the kind of guy who would fall into a smuggling compartment by accident,_ she had to admit. _Or hit his head, and give himself amnesia,_ she confessed regretfully. _I've never seen anyone fly that badly in my entire life._

But she realized something else as well. _He risked his life, to save me,_ Leia confessed. _And he managed to fly this thing a lot better than I could have._ "Hey," she said, giving him a gentle smile. "Thank you... for what you did," she told him appreciatively.

"Oh... You're welcome," Johnny said, grinning shyly. "Sorry I broke your ship," he added. "I can fix it though," he insisted optimistically. "I'm a much better mechanic than I am a pilot," he assured her.

Leia smiled. "Well, if you're looking for work... being an Ex-Stormtrooper, and all," she pointed out, as Johnny grinned ruefully. "I'll put in a good word for you, when we get to the new base," she promised him. "Though you're going to have to pass General Dodonna's new lie detector test, and prove you're not some kind of top-secret Imperial spy," Leia warned him.

"Yeah, he did accuse me of not being as dumb as I look," Johnny confessed. "And then I promised him that I _was_," he sighed ruefully. "Again, not one of my best moments," he told Leia, laughing. "But anyway... thank you," he said. "I'd be glad to help, if there's anything I can do."

Leia nodded; then she remembered his teary-eyed confession, back in the holding cell. "What about home?" she asked him gently. "You said you wanted to go back to Coruscant."

"Oh," Johnny sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I do; one day... I don't know," he confessed, shaking his head. "It's a long story," he said, with an apologetic grin. "But - no, I'm not ready to go home," he said quietly. "Not yet."

Leia gave him a sympathetic smile, accepting his decision. _He's just a lost kid, who doesn't know what he wants,_ she realized, admitting they had been very wrong about him. _With any luck he'll pass Dodonna's lie detector test._

A minute later Han arrived in the _Falcon_, locking onto their emergency hatch and coming down the ladder; but he paused uncertainly as he saw Johnny. "Uh... What's going on here?" he asked Leia worriedly, keeping a hand near his blaster.

Leia smiled regretfully. "Long story," she apologized. _I'm not certain I understand it myself._ "Our base on Lok was attacked; Johnny helped me escape," she told him. "But then we broke down," she explained ruefully.

"Ah," Han nodded, coming to take a closer look. "So what's wrong?" he asked, peering at the controls.

"Um," Johnny said uncertainly. "I think I wore out the clutch."

"Between Lok and here?" Han blinked. "That's like... half a parsec," he told them. "How the hell did you wear out the clutch?"

"He doesn't know how to fly," Leia explained gently, in Johnny's defense.

"So why didn't _you_ fly?" Han asked her, baffled.

Leia sighed. "I don't know how to fly either," she confessed.

"Good Lord," Han muttered, taking over the controls and trying to start the ship. "Yeah, this clutch is shot," he agreed. "I can give you a tow back to Tatooine."

"Thank you," Leia said, giving him an apologetic look.

"Yeah, yeah," Han sighed, climbing back up the ladder into the _Falcon._ "Come on," he said, inviting her up; but he frowned doubtfully as Johnny joined them. "You want me to put him in the hold?" he asked Leia.

"I can let myself in," Johnny offered ruefully.

Leia shook her head. "It's all right; he's - "

"Rrrraaauuuuggghhh!" Chewie yelled suddenly, from the cockpit.

"Star Destroyer, coming in," Han warned them, heading into the cockpit. "You two take the weapons." Leia climbed down to the lower turret, and Johnny climbed up. There were four TIE fighters swooping in on them now; thankfully both Leia and Johnny were much better at shooting than flying, and managed to take them out fairly quickly.

But suddenly Leia blinked in surprise as a huge, fiery explosion erupted on the front end of the Star Destroyer.

"Wooooooo!" Johnny yelled excitedly.

"Who the hell did that?" Han asked, over the radio.

"Um... me?" Johnny said hesitantly.

"God damn," Han sighed. "You used the proton bomb?"

"Yeah," Johnny confessed. "Was that wrong?"

"No," Han said sarcastically. "Be my guest; that thing only cost me, what - about twenty-five thousand credits," he grumbled. "But if you want to use it to blow a teeny tiny hole in the front end of a Star Destroyer - hey, go right ahead."

"Crap," Johnny apologized. "I'm sorry."

"Ahhh... Let's just get out of here," Han sighed, as they jumped to hyperspace.

_Twenty-five thousand credits?_ Leia thought worriedly, climbing back up from the gun turret. _We only paid him fifteen, for everything he's done this past week._ Johnny was climbing down from the other direction now, and gave her an apologetic cringe, looking sheepish.

"I had to dump your ship when we went to hyperspace," Han said, as Leia and Johnny joined him in the cockpit.

"It's all right," Leia told him, sighing in regret.

"We can't go back to Tatooine," Han added. "Mos Eisley will be crawling with Imperials, after what Super Trooper here did."

"I'm sorry," Johnny apologized again, cringing. "Want me to, um - ?" he gestured helplessly toward his familiar prison compartment.

"Yes," Han said, giving him an annoyed glare.

Leia sighed. _He IS technically still our prisoner._ "If you wouldn't mind?" she asked him gently. "We need a minute here."

Johnny nodded in rueful agreement, finding his way back to the engine room; and a few seconds later they heard a panel slide open, followed by a resounding thud as it locked him inside. _Poor kid..._

"What's the deal with him?" Han asked, giving Leia a confused look.

"I don't know," Leia sighed. "It's complicated."

"No kidding," Han agreed, shaking his head. "So, your Worship; where to next?" he asked innocently. "What backwards, out of the way planet do you want me to drop you off on this time? No, don't tell me," he went on sarcastically. "That's on a need to know basis. Hey, why don't I just blindfold myself, and you can fly the ship?" Han suggested. "Oh, that's right," he reproached her. "You don't know how to fly."

Leia sighed. "Anobis," she told him quietly. "Our new base is on Anobis."

Han looked momentarily surprised; but then he sighed, nodding. "Now, was that so hard?"

"I'm sorry," Leia apologized again. "It wasn't my decision," she assured him. "I wanted you to come with us."

"Yeah, I'll bet you did," Han muttered. "Chewie, set a course for Anobis."

"Rrrraauuugghh," Chewie agreed, punching in the coordinates.

"Thank you," Leia said, giving Han an appreciative look. "Really... I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah," Han sighed wearily, flopping back in his pilot's seat.

"And I'm sorry, about..." Leia broke off, concerned. "Are you going to be in trouble, with Jabba?"

"No," Han assured her, thought his tone was sarcastic. "I was only a couple weeks late on my payment to begin with; what's a few more days?" he reasoned. "I mean, yeah, Jabba was just expecting me a few minutes ago, and now he's going to have a platoon of Stormtroopers up his ass for days," Han added matter-of-factly. "But - hey, I'm sure he won't blame me for that," he insisted.

Leia shook her head in regret. "I'm sorry."

Han sighed, relenting. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "And don't worry; I'm not gonna tell anyone where your precious secret base is," he added, giving her a look of reproach. "I promise."

"I know," Leia said, smiling appreciatively. "Thank you."

"So... what are you gonna do with Happy Trigger Finger Boy?" Han asked, glancing back toward the engine room.

"I don't know," Leia said. "I think he's telling the truth," she admitted. "He had every opportunity to turn me over to the Stormtroopers, but he didn't," she told Han. "I think he's really just a scared kid, in a job he hates," Leia sighed. "And I'm sorry, about the proton bomb," she added. "We'll get you another one." _Though how we'll pay for it, I don't know..._

"You'd better," Han agreed grumpily. "Don't think I'm leaving until I get it."

Leia smiled, amused. "It could take a couple of months," she warned him. "We don't exactly keep those things in stock."

"Well I ain't leaving without it," Han insisted stubbornly, folding his arms. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while, Princess."


	9. And joins the Rebellion!

**Chapter 9**

"So, your Worship," Han asked, as Leia found him in the docking bay. "Did Super Trooper pass the lie detector test?"

"With flying colors," Leia told him. "He really is John Doe, from Coruscant; he was only a Stormtrooper for two months. And he really does have amnesia," she added, with a tone of regret.

Han sighed worriedly. "And none of that seems strange to you?" he asked her. "How do you know Vader didn't - brainwash him or something, so he'd pass all your little tests?" he challenged her. "Or he could be some kind of secret Sith clone, or - "

"Han, you're being paranoid," Leia sighed in annoyance.

_Yeah, I tend to be paranoid when it comes to your safety._ Han was still shaken by what had happened on Lok; after spending a week following Leia around from base to base, Han had finally left her alone, and within hours she had nearly been killed.

"Johnny's just a lost kid, trying to find his place in the world," Leia said gently. "And he's a nice guy," she insisted. "I like him."

_That's what worries me,_ Han sighed, shaking his head. _Ahh, what the hell am I even doing here?_

"I talked to General Dodonna, about your proton bomb," Leia added. "He's looking into finding you another one, but he said it could take six to eight weeks for delivery," she told him apologetically.

Han nodded. "Okay," he agreed, continuing his maintenance work on the _Falcon_. "No problem." In truth, the proton bomb was just a convenient excuse to stick around, without actually _joining_ the Rebellion; just as his three previous offers to help Leia move had been. _And I would offer to join them,_ Han admitted; he'd never spoken of it to anyone, but secretly he hated his job working for Jabba. _But then..._ Han sighed unhappily, glancing around at the other pilots in the docking bay. _I'd have to go around wearing one of those god-damned orange jumpsuits._

"Hey, Johnny!" Leia exclaimed now, as Super Trooper entered the docking bay, wearing a grey mechanic's uniform. "Look at you," she remarked cheerfully, admiring his new work clothes. "You look good in grey," she told him, her brown eyes sparkling with affection.

Johnny grinned shyly at the compliment, as Han shook his head in disgust.

"Come on," Leia said, taking Johnny by the arm. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

_Eh... I should just leave,_ Han thought unhappily, turning back to his own work. But then he sighed, remembering what had happened on Lok. _I left her for just a few hours, and she nearly died._ Han felt simultaneously grateful and jealous that Trooper Boy had been around to rescue her; but the kid had done a lousy job of it, and Han had been forced to save _both_ of them in the end.

_No; I ain't going anywhere,_ Han decided stubbornly, casting a resentful glare in Johnny's direction. _Next time the princess needs rescuing, she'll need someone around who can do the job right._

* * *

"...And this is Wedge, and Hobbie, and Wes," Leia said, introducing Johnny to the Rebel pilots hanging around the docking bay. "Guys, this is Johnny; he's our new mechanic," she told them.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Johnny said, shaking their hands.

"A mechanic? Awesome," Hobbie said, with a good-natured grin.

"Seriously," Wes agreed. "Trust me, you'll have plenty of work to do around here, the way _he_ flies," he added, casting a mischievous look in Wedge's direction.

"Hey!" Wedge said indignantly. "Don't listen to him," he told Johnny, sighing.

Johnny laughed shyly. "Well, I can't fly at all, so... I'm not in any position to judge," he assured Wedge.

"You can't fly?" Wes asked, surprised. "Really?"

"Uh, no, I never learned," Johnny admitted, feeling a little stupid. _Ahh, why did I bring that up?_

"Hey, we'll teach you," Hobbie offered good-naturedly.

"Yeah," Wes agreed. "If you're gonna work on these fighters, you should know how to fly them," he reasoned.

Johnny blinked. "Really?" he asked.

"Sure," Wedge said, nodding. "I mean, none of us are licensed instructors, but - " he laughed cheerfully. "Hey, it won't be the first Imperial law we've broken around here," he admitted, grinning.

Johnny laughed. _No kidding..._ "Well - thanks," he said, overwhelmed by their kind offer. "That would be really cool." _Everyone here is so nice,_ he confessed, profoundly grateful that Leia and the other Rebel leaders had decided to give him a chance. _I won't let them down._

"Come on," Leia said now, with a warm smile. "I'll introduce you to Dak and Luke."

Johnny nodded obediently, following her; but then he blinked in surprise as he recognized the shaggy-haired blond kid from Tatooine. _Hey! I remember him,_ he thought cheerfully. _And... Haha, cool,_ Johnny grinned in amusement, spotting two other familiar figures on the other side of the docking bay. _Those are the droids I was looking for._

* * *

"Hey... Who's that?" Artoo asked curiously, turning his scanner in the direction of the newcomer.

"That is Johnny," Threepio informed him. "He is our newest employee; he will be working here as a mechanic."

"Oh," Artoo said, zooming his lens in to get a closer look. Then he gasped in surprise. _What? No..._ He zoomed in closer. _It couldn't be..._ "Eeeeeeeeeeee!" Artoo squealed in delight, tottering around on his little tripod feet. _It's him!_ "Oh oh oh oh oh oh ohh ohhhhh!"

"What's gotten into you?" Threepio asked him, a tone of obvious disdain in his voice.

"It's Anakin!" Artoo chirped excitedly. "He's here!"

"Who?" Threepio asked, confused. "No, that's Johnny, you nit-witted scrap pile."

"No, it's Anakin!" Artoo insisted. "Anakin Skywalker!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Threepio replied. "And you can thank the Maker that no one else understands your depraved gibberish either," he added.

"Anakin _is_ the Maker," Artoo reminded Threepio. "Well, _yours_ anyway... Oh oh ohh! Hi, Anakin!"

"If you are implying that our new mechanic is some type of deity, you had best keep that notion to yourself," Threepio reproached him. "Honestly, I don't understand why you haven't been scrapped for spare parts yet, you malfunctioning little twerp," he scolded Artoo, smacking him on the head.

_Ahh, he doesn't remember anything,_ Artoo sighed. Threepio's mind had been wiped years ago; but Artoo remembered everything. _I'm so glad Anakin's here,_ he confessed happily. _Because I've been dying to tell Luke and Leia all sorts of things; but I didn't dare, without his permission..._

Artoo knew perfectly well that Luke and Leia were twin siblings; he'd been there the day they were born, and knew that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa had taken them into hiding, after Padme had tragically died of LTWTL. And he knew that Anakin was their father; Artoo had always been aware that Anakin and Padme frequently performed human mating rituals in private, but Anakin had specifically ordered him _never_ to tell anyone about that.

_And I never have,_ Artoo thought proudly. _I am a droid of my word._ Still, he had wanted _so_ badly to tell Luke and Leia that they were brother and sister; and now that Anakin was here, perhaps Artoo wouldn't have to keep his secrets locked up inside him any longer.

_He's probably telling them right now,_ Artoo thought happily, watching as Anakin spoke with his children. _I should give them a minute,_ he realized, sighing wistfully; but patience had never been Artoo's strong point, and he tottered back and forth restlessly on his little feet, chirping in excitement. _Okay, that's long enough,_ Artoo decided, rolling off cheerfully in Anakin's direction. _Ohh, I've missed him SO much..._

"Anakin!" he whistled ecstatically, rolling toward him. "Anakin, Anakin! It's me! Oh oh ohhh! Anakin!"

"Hehe," Luke laughed now, as Artoo joined them. "This is Artoo," he said. "Artoo, this is Johnny; he's our new mechanic."

"Huh? No, he's Anakin," Artoo chirped. "Hi Anakin! It's me! Oh oh oh! Anakin! Do you remember me?"

"Hello," Anakin said, with a shy grin. "Nice to meet you."

"No... You _know_ me already!" Artoo protested. "It's me! R2-D2! Anakin, Anakin! It's me!"

"You know," Leia said to her father now, ignoring Artoo's outburst. "Luke could teach you a thing or two about flying, too."

_Um... No, he really couldn't,_ Artoo thought, blinking in confusion. _Luke's not a bad pilot, but... Anakin's the best I've ever flown with, in my entire life._ "Oh oh oh!" he chirped happily. "Anakin, can we go flying, right now? Like - really really fast? And do all sorts of spins and stuff?" Artoo begged him excitedly. "Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh! Anakin, please? Anakin, Anakin! Oh oh oh! Please, Anakin!"

But Anakin just gave him a slightly amused look, and Artoo forced himself to wait patiently. _I've missed him so much,_ he confessed. _It's been a really long time._ But then he blinked uncertainly, realizing something. _It's been nineteen years,_ Artoo calculated. _Shouldn't Anakin be... older?_

Artoo knew that humans aged over time; in fact, he recalled his recent shock in meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi after nineteen years, and realizing that he had turned into a very old man. _So why does Anakin look the same?_ he wondered, blinking in confusion. _This doesn't make sense._

Suddenly Artoo blinked in embarrassment. _Ahh! Maybe Threepio was right,_ he realized. Threepio was always scolding Artoo for not understanding human beings properly; Artoo sighed unhappily now, confessing that perhaps he had been wrong after all. _They say his name is Johnny,_ he recalled, setting aside his assumptions for the moment and resorting to logic to try to work this out.

Artoo had a basic face-recognition program which identified Johnny as Anakin Skywalker; but he admitted that his programming was not infallible. He zoomed in on Johnny's face now, getting a closer look. _Estimated age: twenty-five._ Artoo sighed, realizing that Anakin would be forty-two now.

_But he looks SO much like Anakin,_ Artoo protested; the face-recognition program identified him as a ninety-nine percent match. _Oh!_ Artoo blinked suddenly, remembering something else. _Similarity in human appearance can indicate biological relationship._ That was why Luke Skywalker looked seventy-eight percent like Anakin Skywalker, and Leia Organa looked eighty-one percent like Padme Amidala.

_So... Maybe Johnny is their child too?_ Artoo wondered. Johnny was older than Luke and Leia; Artoo's program estimated that he was twenty-five. _Which means that Anakin would have been seventeen when he was born, and Padme twenty two..._ Artoo blinked worriedly. _Anakin and Padme didn't start performing human mating rituals together until two years after that._ Besides, Padme had never been pregnant before Luke and Leia; she had been Queen of Naboo, and people would surely have noticed.

_Johnny looks ninety-nine percent like Anakin, and zero percent like Padme,_ Artoo confessed, doing the calculations now. _Which means..._ Artoo blinked unhappily. _Anakin performed human mating rituals with someone else... before Padme?_ "Meep," Artoo sighed, crestfallen. Padme had always loved Anakin; it would have made her very sad to learn that he had performed human mating rituals with someone else.

_No,_ Artoo decided stubbornly, refusing to accept that possibility. _I must have been mistaken. Threepio is right: I don't know anything about humans,_ he reassured himself.

_Johnny looks nothing like Anakin,_ Artoo told himself now, erasing the misguided calculations from his memory. _Not at all,_ he thought, whistling and chirping casually to himself as he abruptly turned and rolled away. _Not one bit._

* * *

"What's with him?" Johnny asked, amused by the little astrodroid.

"Heh, I don't know," Luke laughed. "He's - weird," he confessed. "So you can really convert this thing to automatic?" he asked, peering curiously at his X-wing's transmission system.

"Yeah, no problem," Johnny assured him. "It's not that hard to do."

"Cool," Luke said, nodding. "That'll save me a couple of gear shifts when I'm taking off."

"A _couple?_" Johnny asked, surprised. _Understatement of the century..._ "This thing has twenty-five speeds," he pointed out.

"Well yeah; it _has_ twenty-five speeds," Luke agreed. "But you don't actually _use_ them all, when you're taking off," he told Johnny. "You can skip five or six at a time, and shift into whichever gear seems right," he explained. "You get a feel for it, after a while."

"Ohhhh," Johnny said, feeling stupid. "Okay, that explains a lot."

Luke grinned, and they continued their project of pulling apart the X-wing's transmission system. "So you used to work as a mechanic, back on Coruscant?" he asked, curious.

"Yeah," Johnny said. "For about a year. It was fun," he told Luke cheerfully.

"So why'd you leave?" Luke asked. "To become a _Stormtrooper?_" he added, baffled.

"Uhh... Because I'm an idiot?" Johnny confessed, laughing. "Eh, it's a long story."

"Well, I've got time," Luke pointed out good-naturedly, glancing at the twenty-five gear transmission they were taking apart.

Johnny nodded, appreciative of Luke's friendly nature. After two months - and seven transfers - in the Imperial Army, followed by a week in solitary confinement, it was admittedly nice to have someone to talk to. "Well it was a great job, really," he told Luke. "But my boss had this one rule," he sighed ruefully. "When Raq hired me, he made me promise I'd never touch his daughter," he explained, pulling apart one of the gears.

Luke blinked. "And... you _did?_"

"No," Johnny protested, his brows furrowing. "I mean, yeah: I promised I wouldn't," he clarified. "But that was before I _met_ her," he added, with a helpless grin. "After that..." he sighed unhappily. "I love her," Johnny confessed quietly, looking down.

"Ah," Luke said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "So - does she know?"

Johnny shrugged. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I never said anything... I just left."

"To join the Imperial Army," Luke sighed commiseratively, intent on his work. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Yeah, doesn't it?" Johnny laughed. _I like this kid._ "I don't know; she was starting college, and meeting all sorts of other people, and doing all these interesting things, and - " he sighed regretfully. "I got tired of being the greasy mechanic boy who works for her dad," Johnny confessed. "I thought maybe if I could get out, and _do_ something; see the galaxy, you know...? Maybe when I got back, things would be different," he said, shrugging.

"Well, maybe they will be," Luke pointed out optimistically.

"Yeah, maybe," Johnny agreed. _Maybe she'll be married to some guy she's met at college._

"Have you been writing to her?" Luke asked, curious.

"No," Johnny confessed, wiping some grease off the gear he was dismantling. "I mean, what was I going to say? _'Dear Kalana; today I shot eighteen people and blew up Alderaan... How was your day?'_" he sighed unhappily. "She would never have approved of any of that," he confessed.

"Good," Luke agreed, giving him a worried look.

"You know, she almost went to school there," Johnny admitted, still shaken by what had happened. "She was accepted at the University of Alderaan; had a scholarship, and everything," he told Luke. "But she decided to go to the University of Coruscant instead."

Luke nodded quietly, sobered. "I'm glad she's all right."

"Yeah; me too," Johnny agreed.

"So are you going to tell her, that you've joined the Rebellion?" Luke asked.

"I don't know," Johnny said. "I mean, I never even told her I liked her," he confessed helplessly. "And now she's at college, probably meeting other guys, and - " he shrugged. "She deserves someone who can be there for her," Johnny admitted. _Not someone who's halfway across the galaxy, and likely to get his stupid head blown off at any given moment._

"You could go home, you know," Luke said, with a rueful grin. "You don't _have_ to stay here."

"I know," Johnny agreed, nodding appreciatively. "But that's the thing; I've finally got a chance to do something that Kalana would actually approve of," he told Luke. "She's pretty rebellious herself," he admitted, grinning. "This one time she picketed with her student activist group outside DoubleYou headquarters on Coruscant, protesting for clone rights," Johnny laughed, shaking his head. "I mean - I've never really paid attention to politics myself, but..." he shrugged apologetically. "I want to do something _right,_ for a change."

Luke smiled in amusement, pulling another gear off of the transmission. "Yeah, I hear you."

Johnny looked down. "I don't know," he added hesitantly. "Then there's the whole - amnesia thing," he confessed. "I feel like - I don't want to go home, until I know who I _am_," he admitted, at a loss. "I mean, I might never find out who I _was_," Johnny confessed. "But I need to find out - who I can _be_," he tried to explain. "If that makes any sense?"

"Yeah, it does," Luke assured him, with a quiet smile. "I know the feeling."

Johnny smiled gratefully as they continued their work together. _These are really nice people,_ he admitted, looking around the hangar where the other Rebels were all hard at work. _They feel like... family,_ Johnny confessed, touched by the warm welcome they had all given him today. _And they're fighting to make the galaxy a better place - for people like Kalana,_ Johnny realized, feeling a sudden sense of tremendous pride to be included among their ranks. _I think I might just love this job._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Vader frowned, reading the latest memo from the Emperor. _So Ozzel has been promoted to Admiral,_ he realized, profoundly disturbed by the news. Captain Ozzel had been the one to discover - and brutally decimate - the Rebel facility on Lok last week, without Vader's knowledge or permission; and now Sidious had rewarded him with a glorious promotion.

_Well, ADMIRAL Ozzel had better pray that my children weren't harmed in the attack,_ Vader thought, furious. Ozzel had reported that only a small crew had been sighted at the facility, and that the bulk of the Rebel fleet seemed to have escaped the attack. _If he goes anywhere near Luke or Leia again..._ Vader clenched his fists angrily. _Admiral or not, I will strangle him myself._

But then he sighed unhappily, admitting that the situation had been partially his own fault. _I had no idea the Rebels even had a base on Lok,_ Vader confessed ruefully. _How can I protect my children from overzealous officers like Ozzel, if I don't know where they are?_

_I must do a better job of keeping track of them,_ Vader confessed, switching on his HoloNet computer. He searched for any recent mention of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, or the Rebel Alliance, but his search came up empty. _That's probably a good thing,_ Vader consoled himself; still, it troubled him that he was in no position to protect them at the moment. _I hope that they are safe._

But now he sighed wearily, remembering his _other_ ongoing HoloNet project. _'Anakin Skywalker,'_ he typed in; and to his consternation, he actually found one mention of the accursed Jedi Knight, in the East Mytus VII Daily Gazette. _"Gone But Not Forgotten: The Jedi Knights of the Old Republic,"_ the article proclaimed, mentioning some of the prominent members of the Jedi Order and their heroic deeds.

It was a well-researched article, and more or less accurate; Vader smiled wistfully, feeling a twinge of longing as he read glowing tributes to Master Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But then he frowned, seeing a name that did not belong among their ranks.

_Anakin Skywalker was no hero,_ Vader thought stubbornly, censoring the offending name. _Anakin Skywalker was the Worst Jedi Ever._


	10. Luke uses the Force

**Chapter 10**

"So what do we need, here?" Luke asked casually, as he and Han entered a repair shop on Ord Mantell. They were on their way back from an attack mission against an Imperial outpost on Generis; Luke's X-wing had been totaled in the assault, and the _Falcon_ had sustained heavy damages as well.

"Uh, just a couple things," Han said, as they browsed through the aisles. "Johnny thinks we'll have to replace the horizontal boosters," he told Luke. "And I could use a new hydrospanner... Hey," Han remarked thoughtfully, spotting a special sale item. "A mini-welder; that could come in handy," he admitted, putting one in his cart. _And some new goggles, too,_ he decided, picking up a pair now.

"Hey, look," Luke said. "Power converters! Awesome," he said cheerfully, picking up several and adding them to Han's cart. "And wiring's on sale," he noticed. "I'm sure Johnny could use some more of this stuff... Man, this place is better than Tosche Station," Luke said, grinning.

"Heh... yeah, it is," Han said amiably. _That's 'cause Tosche Station's a dump,_ he thought in quiet amusement; but he didn't want to burst the kid's bubble, so he just nodded good-naturedly as they continued their shopping mission.

A minute later they had everything they needed, and made their way over to the check-out counter. "So, what's the damage here?" Han asked casually, pulling out his wallet as the shop owner scanned their items.

"That'll be... four hundred and eighty-nine credits," the man told him.

Han sighed ruefully, handing over his credit card. _Ugh, I really need to do another smuggling run one of these days,_ he confessed; his credit card was nearly maxed out, and he'd only been making the minimum monthly payments on his account for over a year now. _But if I can just get one decent smuggling job on the side, I should be able to pay the whole thing off,_ he reassured himself.

But the shop owner shook his head. "Sorry, sir; we don't accept credit cards," he told him. "Direct bank withdrawal only." _Ah, crap..._

"I got it," Luke said now, handing over his bank card; Han sighed ruefully, as the shop owner completed the transaction.

"Sorry about that," Han apologized, as they left the store.

"Nah, don't worry," Luke assured him; it didn't really matter who paid, since the Rebel Alliance would reimburse their expenses anyway. "But you know, you could be making an extra hundred credits a month, if you wanted," Luke reminded Han, with a rueful grin.

Han laughed. "Tempting," he agreed; Han had been aiding the Rebels for two years now, since their attack on the Death Star, but he still hadn't officially joined them. "But I think I'll pass," he told Luke, as always. _I can make more money in one day, than they could pay me in a year._

Luke shook his head in amusement; but now they both looked up, noticing a ship approaching at an alarming rate of speed.

"What the - ?" Han blinked in confusion; then his expression grew alarmed as he recognized the ship's design. _Slave I... Crap!_ "Boba Fett!" Han warned Luke urgently, drawing his blaster. "Get back to the _Falcon!_"

"Who?" Luke asked, as they ran across the large open plaza, toward the docking area.

"Boba Fett - he's a bounty hunter; one of Jabba's," Han said, grabbing his transmitter. "Chewie, start her up, we gotta get out of here!"

"Rrrrraaauuuuggghhh," Chewie replied anxiously, over the transmitter. A few seconds later the _Falcon_ lifted off, coming to their rescue; but it was too late, and _Slave I_ was already upon them.

Han and Luke suddenly found themselves amidst a rain of laser fire, with no place to take cover; and instantly, Luke ignited his lightsaber, warding off the incoming laser blasts as Han crouched behind him, shooting back at the enemy ship.

A moment later Chewie swooped down beside them, lowering the hatch door. Han and Luke quickly ran aboard as Chewie lifted off, turning the _Falcon_ around and blasting away from Ord Mantell, up and into the atmosphere.

"Just get out of here!" Han yelled, running to the cockpit and sliding into his pilot's seat, as Luke climbed up to the gun turret. The _Falcon_ was already in rough shape, and _Slave I_ was heavily armored; Han knew that a ship-to-ship fight against the bounty hunter would not end well. Luke was firing back at him anyway, but Han staggered toward the navicomputer now, setting the coordinates for the jump to lightspeed.

"Just hold him off until we clear the atmosphere," Han yelled, making the calculations. "Okay, that's it - punch it, Chewie!" he said urgently; and the _Falcon_ lurched in the wake of a laser cannon explosion as it jumped to hyperspace.

"Good job, kid," Han sighed in relief, as Luke joined them in the cockpit; but then he saw Luke's concerned expression, and nodded in worried agreement. _A little too good._ For two years the Rebels had attempted to keep Luke's profile as low as possible, knowing that Vader would come after him with a vengeance if he ever learned of his existence.

_And now Luke's been seen wielding a lightsaber; and he just used his bank card at the store,_ Han realized worriedly. It was a secure transaction, and legally the shop owner wasn't permitted to divulge Luke's private information. _But if he does... we're in trouble,_ Han confessed.

"We'd better warn the others about this," Han decided regretfully; Luke nodded in unhappy agreement, as Han switched on his radio transmitter, putting in a call to the Rebel base on Anobis.

* * *

_A few minutes later..._

"Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo were just attacked by a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell," General Dodonna informed the other Rebel leaders, as they sat around a small conference table at their Anobis base. "They escaped unharmed, but Commander Skywalker was publicly seen using a lightsaber; and he had just paid with his personal bank card at a local repair shop," Dodonna explained.

"This incident will likely make Galactic news, within the next few hours," General Dodonna predicted. "Luke was wearing plain clothes, but the Empire is aware of Captain Solo's involvement with the Rebellion," he reminded the others. "When this news reaches Vader, he'll probably send the entire Imperial fleet to search this sector," Dodonna warned them.

"I move for an immediate - though hopefully temporary - evacuation," Dodonna continued. "If we're lucky, this might blow over, and our Anobis base might remain undetected," he added optimistically. "But we need to prepare for the worst," he confessed, as the others nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Mon Mothma and I will leave immediately aboard the command ship, along with Vanden Willard and whatever crew we can hold," Dodonna told them. "We will begin scouting locations for a new permanent base, should that become necessary," he said. "General Rieekan and Princess Leia: you will take the rest of the fleet to our emergency facility on Hoth, and remain in hiding for the time being."

_Ugh... Hoth,_ Leia sighed; but she nodded in agreement, sobered by this sudden turn of events.

"All right, let's begin the evacuation," Dodonna said, as the others stood up from the conference table; but he caught Leia's attention now, giving her a questioning look. "Your Highness, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course," Leia said, staying behind to talk with him.

"I'm going to need a pilot for the command ship," Dodonna told her, with a regretful look. "Our scouting mission could prove to be dangerous; and if the Hoth facility comes under attack, and we're needed to launch a rescue effort... We're going to need someone who can handle any situation that arises," he said quietly. "I'd like to ask Captain Doe to come with us."

_No..._ Leia blinked in dismay; but she nodded, managing a brave smile. "Yes; of course," she agreed. "It's an excellent choice."

"Thank you, Your Highness," General Dodonna said. "I know Captain Doe has acted as your own personal bodyguard these past two years," he added apologetically. "And I'm reluctant to steal him away, but - we could really use his help on this mission," he confessed.

Leia smiled. "I'm sure he will be honored," she told Dodonna. "I'll let him know," she said, taking her leave.

_Damn it, Johnny,_ Leia sighed unhappily, going to find him in the docking bay. _Why did you have to be so good at flying?_ When the other pilots had offered to give him lessons two years ago, no one - least of all Johnny himself - had expected that he'd actually be talented at it. But as it turned out, Johnny was a natural; and not just at flying, but at every other aspect of military combat as well. He had quickly been promoted to the rank of Captain, and had served as Leia's personal bodyguard these past two years.

_And now I have to go to Hoth without him,_ Leia thought sadly. The two of them had been inseparable these past two years; wherever Leia went, Johnny went too, and she felt safe under his protection. But Luke and Han would be with her, and this arrangement was only temporary; Leia managed a brave smile now as she spotted Johnny in the docking bay, working with the repair crew.

"Okay, we're going to need a lot of antifreeze," Johnny was instructing the other mechanics, already planning for their move to Hoth. "And we'll have to switch to a lighter engine oil; a synthetic would be best," he told them. "Also, it's going to be really important to - " Johnny looked up as Leia approached, and smiled shyly. "Excuse me," he said to the others, stepping aside to talk to her. "Hello, Your Highness."

Leia smiled warmly; she found Captain Doe's attempts at politeness adorable. _Especially when he's covered in engine grease,_ she laughed affectionately, pretending not to notice the black smudge across his cheek. "Captain," Leia replied, with a respectful nod. "General Dodonna has a special assignment for you," she told him gently. "He wants you to pilot the command ship, and help them scout for a new base."

Johnny blinked. "Oh," he said, trying to hide his disappointment. "Um... Yes, Your Highness. Of course," he assured her. "I would be honored."

Leia nodded, giving him a proud smile. "I'll miss you," she said, as he looked down. "But hopefully it's only for a week or so," Leia told him. Johnny smiled, nodding in agreement, and Leia hugged him affectionately. "Congratulations, Captain," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Johnny laughed shyly. "Thank you," he said, hugging her back. "Will you be all right?"

"I'm sure," Leia told him. "I'll have Luke and Han with me," she promised him. "You take care of yourself; I'll see you soon," Leia said, as Johnny nodded obediently. "And comb your hair," Leia teased him playfully, straightening out a wayward curl now. "You look like a Nerf herder."

"Sorry, Your Highness," Johnny laughed. "Well, I guess I'd better get going," he apologized, spotting General Dodonna and the others boarding the command ship now. "May the Force be with you," he said politely, using the old Jedi expression which the Rebel Alliance had proudly adopted.

"Good luck," Leia said, smiling warmly. "I'll see you soon."

_I'm going to miss him,_ Leia confessed, watching as Johnny boarded the command ship. _But at least he won't have to freeze his butt off on Hoth, like the rest of us,_ she laughed ruefully. _Ugh, hopefully this will only be for a few days._

Leia busied herself with preparations for the trip; and a few minutes later the _Millennium Falcon_ arrived in the docking bay. "What happened?" Leia asked, as Han and Luke came down the ramp, followed by Chewbacca.

"Ah, we ran into a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell," Han told her; Luke gave her a rueful smile, heading off to take care of his own preparations, as Chewie started working on repairing the _Falcon_.

"Bounty hunter?" Leia asked, concerned. "What was he doing there?"

"Uh... I think he might have been after me," Han confessed. "He's one of Jabba's."

"Jabba?" Leia gave him a surprised look. "You still haven't paid him back?" _From two years ago?_

"Um, no," Han admitted, cringing. "I wanted to; I just haven't had a chance," he apologized. Then he glanced ruefully at the _Falcon,_ which looked decidedly more beat-up than usual. "Is Johnny around?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No," Leia told him. "He went with General Dodonna and Mon Mothma, to scout for a new base." _Thanks to you,_ she realized indignantly, her brows furrowing. "They asked him to pilot the command ship," she added reproachfully. _You'll have to figure out the repairs yourself._

"Oh." Han nodded, turning back to work on the ship.

"So - how much do you owe Jabba?" Leia asked, still concerned about his debt. "Ten thousand, wasn't it?" _We can probably scrape that together,_ she thought, sighing. _It's time to take care of this mess._

"Well, yeah; it _was_ ten thousand," Han agreed. "But that was two years ago," he admitted ruefully. "And Jabba charges five hundred percent interest," he confessed. "So now I owe him... about three hundred and sixty thousand," he calculated, pulling apart some singed wires.

"Three hundred and - " Leia broke off, stunned. "You can't be serious?"

"Yeah," Han said. "But hey, don't worry; I'll find a way to pay him back," he assured her.

"How?" Leia asked, baffled. "Three hundred and sixty thousand... Han, are you a complete idiot?" she blurted out.

"Hey! Your Worship," Han said defensively. "I'm sorry if I've been too busy slaving away for your little Rebellion," he reproached her. "I haven't had time to deal with any of that," he protested, scowling.

"Haven't had time?" Leia repeated. "Han, you've had two years!"

"Aaghhh," Han sighed in annoyance, shaking his head. "Look, I gotta do a couple repairs," he told her. "But I'll be ready in about half an hour," Han promised. "I'll give you a ride to your new base," he offered grudgingly.

"No thanks," Leia replied coolly. "I'm going with General Rieekan," she told him. "My transport is leaving in a few minutes."

Han looked momentarily hurt; but he nodded, shrugging. "Fine," he said, turning back to his repairs. "I'll see you there."

Leia shook her head, going off to meet her own transport. _Three hundred and sixty thousand,_ she sighed in weary disbelief. _And now we all have to move to a giant ball of ice, because of your astounding stupidity,_ Leia realized, frustrated. _Han, it just never ends with you._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_Well this is the coolest office ever,_ Vader had to admit, checking out his new quarters aboard the flagship _Executor_. His inner sanctum was perfectly round, with a comfy swivel chair in the middle, surrounded by an array of computer monitors and control panels. The domed ceiling opened upward in an ingenious eggshell design; Vader felt like a little Sith hatchling in his safe, cozy nest.

_I might never come out of here again,_ he admitted, swiveling around experimentally in his chair. Then he looked up, curious. _What's that?_ Vader wondered, seeing a robotic claw suspended from the ceiling. He wasn't certain what it was for, or which button activated it, but he pointed a finger at it now, using the Force. _Oh my,_ Vader blinked, as the robotic claw descended slowly, grabbing onto his helmet and yanking it off his head.

_Well that's... interesting,_ Vader confessed, watching his helmet slowly ascend to the very top of the ceiling. _I guess it's a hat rack of some type?_ But now a light blinked on one of his computer screens. _Incoming video transmission from Admiral Ozzel... ugh,_ Vader sighed in annoyance. He pressed the button to accept the transmission, then blinked worriedly as his eggshell walls began to open up. _Oh, crap! My hat!_

Using the Force, Vader quickly jammed the door stuck, though it was already open a crack; then he frowned, looking up reproachfully at the mischievous hat rack. _Get back down here,_ he commanded his helmet, pointing a stern finger and using the Force to activate the robotic claw once again. _Gah... I really don't see the point of that,_ Vader confessed, waiting impatiently as his helmet began its slow descent from the ceiling, then latched onto his space suit, sealing him in with a satisfying hiss.

_Okay, let's try this again,_ Vader sighed, using the Force to open his chamber once again. _And I really need to learn which button controls what,_ he admitted; Vader could fly any type of ship known to the galaxy, but this new office baffled him somewhat.

He turned his attention to the giant video screen outside his chamber, where Admiral Ozzel stood by impatiently, awaiting his reply. _Good. Make him wait,_ Vader thought in annoyance; Ozzel was one of Sidious' favorite officers, and therefore Vader detested him.

"Lord Vader," Ozzel addressed him now, over the huge video screen. "We've just received news reports of an incident on Ord Mantell, involving two members of the Rebel Alliance," he informed him. "The _Millennium Falcon_ was sighted, along with a person matching the description of Captain Solo," Ozzel continued. "A younger man was with him; they came under attack by an enemy ship, possibly a bounty hunter," he reported.

"My Lord," Ozzel continued, giving Vader a meaningful look. "Solo's companion wielded a blue lightsaber, to deflect the laser fire," he told him. "He had just used his personal bank card at a local repair shop; the transaction record identifies him as Luke Skywalker," Ozzel said. "I have already deployed the fleet to search the sector; if the Rebels have a base in that area, I assure you, we will find it," he promised.

Vader blinked in alarm at this news. _Ahh! Luke has been sighted?_ For two years, the Emperor had charged Vader with the task of searching for Luke, but thus far Vader had managed to feign ignorance, and Sidious had no actual evidence of Luke's involvement with the Rebels.

_But if Luke has made Galactic news, it's only a matter of hours before the Emperor hears of it,_ Vader realized, thinking quickly. _I have to stall for time._ "Excellent work," Vader told Ozzel now. "Have your ships continue to sweep the area," he instructed him. "And if they find anything, notify me immediately," he ordered him. "If a Rebel base is discovered, I will lead the invasion myself."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Ozzel replied.

"And Admiral," Vader added, squeezing Ozzel's throat ever so slightly. "You will keep this investigation quiet," he ordered him. "I must speak with the Emperor personally about the young Rebel with the lightsaber," Vader stipulated. "There are aspects of this matter which do not concern you, and I expect your full confidentiality," he warned Ozzel. "Do not fail me... _Admiral._"

Ozzel gulped as Vader released his choke-hold. "Yes, My Lord," he promised. "I'll inform you at once, if we find anything."

_Good,_ Vader sighed, switching off the transmission. _Crap, Luke, what's going on?_ he wondered anxiously, turning to his HoloNet computer and typing in his son's name. _Luke Skywalker: 58 results,_ the search program informed him. _Ahh!_ Vader blinked worriedly, scanning through dozens of news articles that had already leaked out to the entire galaxy.

_Jedi Sighted on Ord Mantell!_ one headline proclaimed. _Lightsaber-Wielding Rebel Uses The Force!_ another stated. Vader's heart sank, and he realized that this news would soon reach the Emperor.

_I could censor Luke's name,_ Vader considered briefly; but he sighed, realizing it would be pointless. _I can't contain this,_ he admitted. _It's already out over the radio news stations; I can't stop it from spreading now. And if I try, Sidious will have one more thing to hold against me._

Vader sighed unhappily; he was all too aware of his tenuous relationship with the Emperor, and knew that Sidious was simply watching him with amusement these days, as he lived out his final pathetic year. Vader had been battling against LTWTL for four years now, and his actual symptoms had not worsened too badly of late; but the doctors continued to warn him that it was only a matter of time now, and they estimated he only had about a year left.

_The cruelest part is that I want SO badly to live,_ Vader thought unhappily. _I want to keep protecting my children, for as long as possible._ But there was no beating LTWTL, and Vader had come to accept that reality. _I will do everything in my power to help Luke and Leia, in the time that is left to me,_ he resolved once again, focusing on the positive.

And Vader did take one small comfort in the knowledge that his children would not share his own fate. Two decades ago, things had been different, and the Emperor's threat of taking one of them as his next Apprentice had been very real. But now, Luke and Leia were twenty-one, well beyond the optimal age to begin their Force training; Obi-Wan was dead, and Master Yoda had grown hopelessly senile in his exile on Dagobah. Vader took comfort in the fact that Sidious was no longer interested in taking any of them as his next Apprentice.

_I've got a year left, and then Mara will take over,_ Vader knew. Palpatine had been training Mara Jade since she was a small child; she was nineteen now, and had already been named the "Emperor's Hand." It was against Sith tradition to take more than one Apprentice, and technically Sidious was breaking the rules by training her; but he dismissed Vader's accusations, claiming that Mara was simply a "great asset" and a "powerful ally."

_Semantics,_ Vader sighed in weary annoyance. _We both know she's your illegal second Apprentice, and you're just waiting for me to die so she can take my place._ Still, Vader was relieved that Mara would be succeeding him in this accursed job, rather than Luke.

But now a light started blinking on his computer terminal; Vader anxiously pressed the button, accepting the transmission. "Yes, Admiral?" he asked, as Ozzel's image appeared on the video screen.

"Lord Vader, our scouts have discovered what appears to be an unauthorized military facility, on Anobis," Ozzel reported. "It seems to be abandoned, but Captain Needa is prepared to launch a full ground assault, on your order."

_Abandoned?_ Vader sighed in relief. _Thank the Force._ "Tell Captain Needa to hold his position," Vader commanded Ozzel. "Set a course for Anobis; I will lead the invasion myself."

Ozzel sighed visibly, but nodded. "Yes, My Lord," he obeyed.

Vader switched off the transmission; but then he sighed worriedly, realizing that he needed to come up with a better way to protect his children from Ozzel's alarmingly effective search methods. _I got lucky this time,_ Vader admitted, grateful that the Rebels were already two steps ahead of him, and had evacuated their Anobis base before he even received the news. _But next time...?_

_I need to find a way to warn them,_ Vader resolved, switching on his tactical computer and browsing through an index of standard Imperial strategies, hoping to get an idea. _Or a way to throw my own officers off their trail - always looking in the wrong place,_ Vader considered thoughtfully; then he blinked in surprise. _Or maybe both at the same time?_ he wondered, stumbling upon a strategy he hadn't thought of before.

_Probe droids,_ Vader mused, looking over the technical plans. _With a few special modifications... this just might work._

* * *

_Later that afternoon..._

"Thanks, Nikana," Rayland said, peering at his broken tractor ruefully. "I really appreciate your help."

"No problem," his neighbor assured him, with a friendly grin. "This isn't so bad; I can get it working again, good as new," he promised.

Rayland laughed ruefully. "I'm glad you know how to fix these things," the farmer confessed. "You know, you could open a mechanic shop in town," he suggested. "Probably could make some pretty good money."

Nikana grinned, shaking his head. "And give up Nerf herding?" he asked. "Never," he said, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously as he turned back to his repair work. "Besides, Hesha's cookies are way better than money," he pointed out.

"Haha, she thought the kids might like those," Rayland agreed, glancing at the care package his wife had made for the Redrehfren family. "Though they're not so little any more," he confessed, shaking his head. "Twenty-one, eh? Where does the time go?"

"No kidding," Nikana sighed, still intent on his work. It was hard to believe he was the father of two grown children; Nikana only looked about thirty-something himself. _He had to have been real young when they were born... and when his wife died,_ Rayland thought regretfully.

"Crazy news today, huh?" Rayland said, changing the subject.

"What's that?" Nikana asked casually, continuing his repair work.

"You didn't hear?" Rayland asked. _Eh, you're too busy with your Nerf herding._ "Vader just invaded a Rebel base on Anobis," he told him. "He barely missed them; they've shipped out somewhere else, thank goodness." Rayland sighed; like most of Kalydon's residents, he and Nikana held no love for the Empire. "But it looks like the Rebels have a Jedi in their midst now," he told his neighbor.

Nikana blinked momentarily. "Really?" he asked, frowning as he turned back to his work.

"Yeah," Rayland said. "There was some to-do on Ord Mantell; the Rebels got attacked by - I think it was a bounty hunter... And then one of them pulls out a lightsaber and starts swinging away," he told Nikana, grinning. "Wish I could have seen that," Rayland confessed, shaking his head.

"Wow," Nikana said, surprised. "So - did they get caught?" he asked worriedly.

"No, no," Rayland assured him. "The Imperials came up empty-handed, as usual," he chuckled. "Those Rebels are way too smart for Vader," he told Nikana. "They're long gone by now," Rayland predicted. "Might be another two years before anyone finds out where they've gone to."

"Ah," Nikana nodded, continuing to work on the broken tractor.

"But that's really something, though; to think that there's a young Jedi out there," Rayland confessed, sighing wistfully. "Of course, he's had no official training," he told Nikana. "Probably has no - Force powers, or whatnot - but somehow he's gotten himself a lightsaber," Rayland said, grinning. "Kid calls himself _Skywalker_... Boy, that brings back memories," he admitted.

"How's that?" Nikana asked, blinking uncertainly.

"Anakin Skywalker," Rayland explained. "He was one of the best, back in the day," he confessed, shaking his head. "Always hearing about him on the radio... Ah, but that was before your time," Rayland admitted. "You would have just been a young pup back then. I bet your brother's heard of him, though," he added. "You ask Nawibo if he remembers a Jedi by the name of Skywalker," he told Nikana. "Anyway, that's who this young kid has gone and named himself after," Rayland said, grinning nostalgically.

"Heh," Nikana laughed, scratching his head. "Okay, I'll ask him," he agreed, with an indifferent shrug. Rayland laughed quietly, realizing once again that his Nerf-herding neighbor had little interest in the galaxy beyond his own pastures. _He probably hasn't heard a word I've said._

"All right, let's give this a try," Nikana said now, switching on the ignition, as the tractor engine revved to life. "There you go," he nodded in cheerful satisfaction, turning it off again. "All fixed."

"Thanks, Nikana," Rayland said, nodding. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Nikana said good-naturedly, taking his leave. "Any time," he insisted, as always. "And tell Hesha thanks for the goodies," the Nerf herder added with a friendly grin, heading back up the winding country path toward his own hillside pastures.

* * *

_Later that evening..._

Corporal Lynel Hollins blinked in surprise, noticing an incoming video transmission. _From Lord Vader himself...?_ Gulping anxiously, he accepted the transmission, standing at attention in the _Executor's_ engineering station. "Yes, Lord Vader," he replied, trying to hide his fear.

"Corporal Hollins," Vader addressed him, over the video screen. "I have a special assignment for you."

"Yes, My Lord," Hollins replied.

"I am sending you the technical plans for a new type of probe droid," Lord Vader continued. "I designed the special modifications myself; I want two thousand units produced by tomorrow," he told him.

_Two thousand?_ Hollins blinked in alarm; but he nodded obediently. "Yes, My Lord," he said. "I shall begin work right away."

He sighed in relief as the transmission switched off, and turned to his engineering design computer, looking over Lord Vader's new plans. _So I'll need to make two thousand probe droids by tomorrow,_ Hollins sighed worriedly. _Let's hope I have all the materials I'll need._

But then he frowned, noticing several glaring problems with Lord Vader's design. _He wants it to send out a constant stream of encoded gibberish, over all local radio channels?_ Hollins blinked in confusion. _Wouldn't that immediately alert the Rebels of its presence?_

_And... It only takes one picture per day? At low resolution?_ Hollins shook his head, unable to fathom Lord Vader's reasoning. _So it's to be armed with mild stun lasers, but programmed to self-destruct, if it takes any damage?_

_I don't get it,_ Hollins confessed, baffled. _But if I'm to make two thousand of these, I want to be sure to do the job right._ Sighing anxiously, he put in a call to Lord Vader's private office.

"Yes, Corporal?" Vader replied, over the video screen.

"Lord Vader, I apologize for the interruption," Hollins began. "I just wanted to confirm some of these specifications," he said, gulping nervously. "In particular - the streaming gibberish, the low camera resolution; the self-destruct mechanism - " Hollins broke off, feeling his throat suddenly constrict.

"Perhaps you have a better plan, Corporal Hollins?" Vader asked calmly.

Hollins choked, gasping for air. "No - My Lord," he rasped pathetically, giving the Sith Lord an apologetic look.

"Good," Vader said, releasing his grasp, as Hollins sighed in relief. "I expect to have two thousand units completed by tomorrow."

"Yes, My Lord," Hollins agreed quickly. "It shall be as you command."

_Ugh,_ Hollins sighed unhappily, massaging his sore throat as the transmission switched off once again. _That was stupid,_ he confessed; his own expertise was in engineering, rather than military strategy.

_Lord Vader has some kind of trick up his sleeve,_ Hollins realized, grinning in amusement as he set to work on the mysterious probe droids. _And he knows his stuff,_ he confessed; Vader's specifications were technically accurate, and demonstrated a solid grasp of mechanics and electrical engineering. _Sometimes in madness, resides brilliance,_ Hollins admitted, fascinated to be involved in Lord Vader's latest project.

_I'm not certain what these droids are supposed to do,_ Hollins laughed quietly, shaking his head. _But I'll make sure that they get the job done,_ he resolved, setting to work on two thousand near-sighted, gibberish-spewing, self-destructive probe droids.


	11. Leia would rather kiss a Wookiee

**Chapter 11**

"Echo Three to Echo Seven," came a familiar voice over the transmitter. "Han, old buddy, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, kid," Han replied, reining in his tauntaun momentarily. "What's up?"

"Well, I finished my circle," Luke told him. "I don't pick up any life readings."

"There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser," Han agreed, casting an apprehensive glance at the icy wasteland that surrounded him. "Sensors are placed; I'm going back."

"Right; I'll see you shortly," Luke replied. "There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here; I want to check it out. It won't take long," he promised cheerfully.

Han shook his head, laughing. _That kid is crazy._ Everyone else was annoyed and worried to be stuck here on Hoth, but Luke couldn't wait to go out and play in the snow. _I guess if you grow up on a desert planet, this seems like a fun place._

_Although it's my own fault we're here,_ Han confessed regretfully, as he urged his tauntaun back toward the Rebel base. Leia was still furious with him over the bounty hunter incident, which had led to the destruction of their Anobis facility, and forced the entire fleet to evacuate here to Hoth. _She thinks I've just been using the Alliance to hide from my debts all this time,_ he realized. _But the truth is, I stayed to protect her._

Han sighed unhappily. _It was stupid,_ he admitted now. He should have paid off his debt to Jabba two years ago, and taken care of that whole mess. But at the time, he hadn't dared to leave Leia alone for even a few hours, and the Rebels had needed his constant assistance; and within a month, the interest on his debt had already exceeded what he was able to pay.

_Things are different now, though,_ Han confessed. Leia had Johnny and Luke to protect her, and Han realized he wasn't needed in that capacity any more. Johnny was a competent bodyguard, and he and Leia got along well. _A little too well,_ Han sometimes worried; Luke insisted there was nothing going on between them, and that Johnny was in love with some girl from Coruscant, but Han had his doubts. _If he likes this girl so much, why didn't he just go home two years ago, instead of following Leia around like an overprotective Nerf-hound?_

_She's always hugging him, and kissing him,_ Han realized. _And Luke too,_ he admitted, trying to convince himself that Leia's obvious affection for both of them was innocent. _But she never kisses me,_ Han sighed. _All we ever do is fight._

_I THOUGHT she liked me,_ Han confessed ruefully. _I've stuck around for two years, and let this stupid debt pile up, all because of her,_ he admitted. _But I've just been wasting my time,_ he realized now, frustrated and hurt. _Does she even like me at all?_ Han had tried to make it pretty obvious how he felt about her; he was always flirting with her, and calling her "sweetheart", but Leia just rejected his advances.

_She won't reject me properly, though,_ Han scowled. He was an old pirate, after all, and knew a thing or two about women; he'd been taught from an early age how to flirt with girls, and read their signs. _If they ignore you, it means they ain't interested,_ Han realized. _And if you get slapped in the face, you leave them the hell alone,_ he knew; he'd learned that lesson the hard way.

But Leia had never slapped him in the face, nor did she ignore him. _She gets mad when I flirt with her,_ Han admitted. And _that_ was a sure sign that Leia had feelings for him as well. _But she's too stuck up to admit it,_ Han grumbled. _If she would just ignore me, or give me a good slap in the face, I'd leave her alone,_ he confessed, frustrated. _But she won't do that; she just keeps stringing me along._

_Ahh,_ Han sighed unhappily, as he neared the base. _I should just leave._ He had tried to deny it for two years now, but he realized that all of his reasons for staying were no longer valid. _If she hasn't admitted her feelings for me in two years, that's not likely to change anytime soon,_ he thought. _Besides, I'm not protecting her any more; I'm endangering her,_ Han admitted with concern. _And everyone else as well._

_Boba Fett is still after me,_ Han knew; and probably the rest of Jabba's bounty hunters as well. _They won't stop looking until they've found me. And until I pay off my debt to Jabba, I'm endangering the entire Rebel Alliance,_ Han confessed, his heart sinking as he realized what he had to do.

_I have to leave,_ Han admitted unhappily. _I have to go back to Jabba, and apologize, and hope that he lets me work off this stupid debt, instead of feeding me to the Rancor,_ he thought. _It'll take me a year to pay it off, but... I have to do it,_ Han realized now. _I can't ignore this any longer._

With a heavy sigh, Han urged his tauntaun into the docking bay, reluctantly admitting that it was time to say his goodbyes.

* * *

"General, I gotta leave," Han said regretfully. "I can't stay any more."

"I'm sorry to hear that," General Rieekan replied.

_What?_ Leia blinked in disbelief, overhearing them. _You're leaving? NOW?_

"Well, there's a price on my head," Han told General Rieekan. "If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt I'm a dead man."

_You made us all move out here to this ice cube, and NOW you're leaving?_ Leia shook her head in frustration. _I wish you'd left two days ago, BEFORE you got us into this mess,_ she thought, scowling. _You'd have saved us all a lot of trouble._

"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with," General Rieekan agreed, accepting his decision. "You're a good fighter, Solo; I hate to lose you," he said with a regretful smile, shaking his hand.

_I thought he actually cared about the Rebellion,_ Leia thought bitterly. _But I should have known better,_ she berated herself, frustrated. _He's just been using us all along, hanging out at our secret base to hide from his stupid debts,_ Leia realized. _And now that he's compromised our Anobis base and dragged us all out here to Hoth, he's not even sticking around to help._

"Thank you, General," Han said; then he turned to Leia. "Well, Your Highness," he said, coming over to say goodbye. "Guess this is it."

Leia glared at him. "That's right," she agreed coolly. _What do you expect, a hug?_

Han looked as though he wanted to say something else, but decided against it. "Well don't get all mushy on me... So long, Princess," he grumbled angrily, storming off.

Leia shook her head. _Han, you're so inappropriate. I'm trying to lead this Rebellion, and set an example, and you're constantly treating me like a sex object in front of my entire command crew._ But despite her frustration, Leia's heart sank as she realized what would happen to him.

_He owes Jabba three hundred and sixty thousand credits,_ Leia knew; and Hutts were not known for their forgiving nature. _He might be tortured, or killed... Or both,_ she admitted, deeply concerned. Personal feelings aside, Leia didn't want to see Han dead. _Damn it, Han,_ she sighed in annoyance, chasing after him through the hallways. _I won't let you go and get yourself killed._

"Han," Leia said, catching up with him.

"Yes, Your Highnessness?" Han replied impatiently, turning to face her.

"I thought you had decided to stay." _Come on, Han. Just stay._

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."

"Han, we need you," Leia told him, swallowing her pride. It was true; regardless of his motives, Han had been a tremendous help to the Rebellion these past two years. _I don't know how we would have managed without him._

"_We_ need?" Han repeated, rubbing it in.

"Yes," Leia admitted.

"Well, what about _you_ need?" Han prodded her.

"_I_ need?" _Good Lord, Han. I'm trying to save your life here; can we not get into this right now?_ "I don't know what you're talking about," Leia sighed in annoyance.

Han made a sarcastic gesture. "You probably don't," he agreed, continuing toward the docking bay.

_Damn it..._ "And what precisely am I supposed to know?" Leia asked, chasing him.

"Come on," Han said, not slowing down. "You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

Leia sighed. _Why do you have to make things so difficult?_ "Yes," she agreed, exasperated. "You're a great help to us," she conceded. "You're a natural leader." _Come on, Han; just stay. Don't go and get yourself killed._

"No," Han insisted stubbornly, pointing a finger in her face. "That's not it," he said, confronting her. "Come on," he goaded her, as she glared at him in furious disbelief. _Really, Han? You're doing this NOW?_

"Ahh?" Han exclaimed smugly, seeing her incensed reaction. "Come on," he pushed her, relentless.

"You're imagining things," Leia protested scornfully.

"Am I?" Han challenged her. "Then why are you following me?" he pointed out. "Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

_Gah..._ "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee," Leia retorted. _At least Chewie treats me with respect, and not like I'm some kind of harlot._

"I can arrange that," Han yelled angrily, storming off again. "You could use a good kiss!"

_He is impossible._ Leia blinked in dismay, realizing that half the ground crew had just overheard that conversation. _Han, if you're really interested in me in that way...?_ She sighed, shaking her head. _There are rules to courting a princess. __And you break every single one of them._

* * *

Han sighed in frustration, heading back to the _Falcon_. Leia was being impossible, as usual; she pushed him away, but wouldn't let him go either. _Make up your mind, why don't you,_ he grumbled.

_She likes me,_ Han was certain, as always. _She gets all riled up when I flirt with her and tease her like that._ But she refused to admit it, and that was their whole problem. Like every self-respecting pirate in the galaxy, Han knew that a gentleman should never force himself upon a woman. He could flirt, and tease, and show her that he was interested; but it was up to the woman to make the next move.

And as Han knew perfectly well, there were two ways that a woman could indicate her desire for a romantic relationship. The first way was the most direct: she could simply kiss him, and they could get on with things. But there was a second option, if she wanted to play the virtuous maiden: she could call him a _'scoundrel'_ - a code word which translated roughly into _'kiss me now, you handsome devil'_ - thereby giving him permission to have his way with her, even if she pretended to object.

But Leia had never kissed Han, nor had she called him a scoundrel; but she hadn't slapped him in the face, or ignored him either, and so for two years their relationship had been stuck in a frustrating stalemate.

"Ahh, let's just get out of here," Han muttered to himself, as he arrived back at the _Falcon._ "Hey Chewie - we about ready to go?"

"No," Chewbacca roared unhappily. "I'm still trying to fix the horizontal boosters," he told him.

_What? I fixed those already,_ Han sighed in annoyance, seeing that Chewie had pulled everything apart again. "Why did you take this apart now?" Han asked, exasperated. "I'm trying to get us out of here, and you pull both of these - ?" _Damn it, Chewie, I just want to get off this ice cube._ "Put them back together, right now," he ordered him grumpily.

"Excuse me, sir," Threepio interrupted randomly. "Might I have a word with you please?"

_No..._ "What do you want?" Han asked.

"Well, it's Princess Leia, sir," Threepio told him. "She's been trying to get you on the communicator."

"I turned it off," Han said. "I don't want to talk to her." _God damn, Leia. You send your DROID to try to fix your relationship problems?_

"Well, Princess Leia is wondering about Master Luke," Threepio said. "He hasn't come back yet; she doesn't know where he is."

_Huh?_ "I don't know where he is," Han told him.

"Nobody knows where he is," Threepio replied worriedly.

"What do you mean, nobody knows?" _Crap, can't these people figure anything out without me around?_ "Deck officer! Deck officer!" Han called out impatiently, taking care of business. "Do you know where Commander Skywalker is?" he asked, clamping a hand over Threepio's mouth to shut him up.

"I haven't seen him," the deck officer replied. "It's possible he came in through the south entrance."

"It's possible?" Han repeated, annoyed. "Why don't you go find out? It's getting dark out there."

"Yes, sir," the deck officer said, walking away in the wrong direction, as Han blinked in disbelief. _Doesn't anyone have a clue what they're doing around here?_

"Excuse me, sir," Threepio said. "Might I inquire what's going on?"

"Why not?" Han agreed, continuing on to look for Luke. _He's still not back yet? This isn't good..._

"Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in the south entrance," Major Derlin reported. "He might have forgotten to check in."

"Not likely," Han said, deeply concerned now. "Are the speeders ready?"

"Uh, not yet," Derlin said. "We're having some trouble adapting them to the cold." _Yeah, Johnny's not here..._

"We'll have to go out on Tauntauns," Han decided quickly, heading over to the stable.

"Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly," Major Derlin protested.

"That's right, and my friend's out in it," Han told him. _I'm going to have to do this myself,_ he realized, frustrated. Unlike the others, Han wasn't an official member of the Rebel Alliance; he didn't have to wait for orders, or follow them, for that matter.

"Your tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker," Derlin warned him.

"Then I'll see you in hell," Han retorted, urging his tauntaun forward. "Hyaa!" _See, this is why I won't join your damned Rebellion,_ he scowled, riding out into Hoth's icy wasteland to search for Luke. _Sometimes you gotta break the rules to do what's right._

Han spent the next hour looking for Luke, following the weak signals from his life-readings sensor. But finally he saw him, lying face-down in the snow. "Luke! Luke," he called out urgently, dismounting from his tauntaun and stumbling toward him. _Crap..._ "Don't do this, Luke," he pleaded, turning him over and checking his vitals. "Come on; give me a sign here."

To his profound relief, Luke's body was still warm, and he was breathing; but now Han looked up in alarm as his tauntaun bleated pathetically, then fell over dead. _Ahh..._ Han's heart sank, but he realized he had to act quickly if he was to save Luke. "Not much time," he muttered worriedly, dragging Luke over to the tauntaun's dead body.

"Ben... Ben," Luke said weakly. _Damn it, he's delusional again,_ Han realized; he and Leia had finally convinced Luke that it wasn't normal to hear voices in his head, or have conversations with dead people. _I thought that stopped months ago._

"Hang on, kid," Han said, using Luke's lightsaber to cut open the tauntaun. _Gah..._ "This may smell bad, kid," he apologized. "But it'll keep you warm, 'til I get the shelter up," he promised.

"Dagobah system... Yoda," Luke babbled, delirious. "Ben... Dagobah..."

"Ahh," Han sighed wearily, pulling his goggles back on. "I thought they smelled bad - on the outside," he gasped, setting to work on building a shelter for the night. _Sorry, Luke... Sorry, tauntaun,_ he apologized, sickened by what he had done. _But I don't see anyone else doing any better._

He managed to construct a crude wind shelter with a foundation of packed snow; then he sat down next to Luke, and set about making a campfire. _They won't find us until morning,_ he realized unhappily, preparing himself for a miserable night.

_If Johnny were here, he'd find a way to get those speeders working, even in this cold,_ Han thought, doing his best to keep Luke warm. _Then again, if Johnny were here, he'd have fixed the Falcon hours ago, and I'd be long gone,_ he admitted. _And Luke would be dead._

_But Johnny's not here,_ Han admitted. _And if I had left... And Luke had died..._ he blinked unhappily. _Who would be left to protect Leia?_

Han shook his head. _I can't leave,_ he realized now, admitting that Luke would have died today, had he not been around to break the rules. _But I can't stay, either,_ he worried, remembering the bounty hunters.

_Damn it,_ Han thought helplessly, seeing no way out of this mess. _What am I gonna do?_

* * *

_The next morning..._

_Thank goodness they're both all right,_ Leia sighed in weary relief, as Luke was lowered into the bacta tank. It had been a long, sleepless night; Leia and Chewbacca had stayed up together, holding a silent vigil as they prayed for Luke and Han's safe return.

But now Han slipped quietly away from the medical center, and Leia felt a twinge of guilt, remembering that her last words to him had been in anger. _I need to apologize to him, and thank him properly for saving Luke's life,_ she admitted. _And if I can manage to have one decent, semi-civilized conversation with him, hopefully I can convince him to stay with us, and not go back to Jabba._

Luke was waking up now, and Leia wanted to be there for him, as he was transferred to the recovery room; but she feared that Han might leave in the meantime, and tried to think of a way to get him to stay put, at least until she had a chance to talk to him.

_I'll issue a base-wide security warning,_ Leia decided regretfully, heading toward the command center. It was the one rule that Han would actually follow; he wouldn't leave if doing so would jeopardize their safety. _This is going to be hard to explain, though,_ she admitted with a sigh, as she entered the command center.

"General," Leia said respectfully, approaching him now.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Rieekan replied.

"I'm concerned about this creature that attacked Luke," Leia told him worriedly. "I'd like to issue a security warning, and keep everyone here at the base until we're certain what we're dealing with."

Rieekan nodded. "That's not a bad idea," he agreed. "We're working on getting the energy shield up, anyway," he mentioned. "It's probably best to have everyone stay put until it's activated."

_Oh?_ Leia blinked in surprise. _Well that's a much better excuse than my mysterious snow creature,_ she thought.

"Go ahead and give the order," Rieekan told her, continuing with his own work.

_Me? Gah,_ Leia sighed ruefully, going over to the intercom. _Hopefully Han won't think this was my idea._

* * *

_"Attention, all personnel,"_ Leia's voice announced over the facility's intercom system. _"We're issuing a base-wide security alert. No ships are to leave the system until the energy field has been activated."_

"What?" Chewie asked, giving Han a confused look, as they worked on the _Falcon's_ hyperdrive. "What's that about?"

Han shrugged, continuing with his repairs. "I don't know," he confessed. _Though I think I have a pretty good idea._ The Rebels had been here on Hoth for a full day already, and so far everyone had been allowed to come and go freely, with no energy shield up. _So why the security warning, all of a sudden?_ Han laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I think Her Worship is playing games with us."

"Hahahaha," Chewbacca chuckled in amusement. "I think so too."

"All right," Han said agreeably, setting aside his repairs for the moment. "If she wants to play games, I can play games," he told Chewie, with a roguish grin.

Chewbacca laughed heartily, following him out of the docking bay. "This will be fun to watch."

In truth, Han and Chewie had already decided to stay here on Hoth anyway, at least long enough to help the Rebels move to their next base. It was unlikely that Jabba's bounty hunters would find them all the way out here; and with Johnny gone, and Luke injured, Han couldn't very well leave Leia unprotected on this ice cube. _But she doesn't have to know that,_ he thought mischievously.

_She loves me,_ Han sighed happily, as they continued toward the medical bay, where Leia was surely attending to Luke. "Okay, this is it," he told Chewie, gathering his courage. "I'm going to really push her," he promised; Chewie was well aware of Han's ongoing attempts to flirt with the princess. "And I won't give in until she either kisses me, or calls me a scoundrel," he resolved. "Whether _she_ kisses _me_, or _I_ kiss _her_... One way or another, _somebody's_ gonna get kissed," Han vowed, as they approached Luke's recovery room.

"That's right," Chewbacca said encouragingly, scruffing Han's hair. "Go get her."

"Master Luke, sir," they could hear Threepio saying now. "It's so good to see you fully functional again."

"Thanks, Threepio," came Luke's voice. _Oh good, he's awake..._

"Artoo expresses his relief also," Threepio added, as Han and Chewie entered the room.

"How you feeling, kid?" Han asked cheerfully. "You don't look so bad to me."

"He looks strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark," Chewbacca said, patting Luke on the shoulder.

_Yeah, he does..._ "In fact, you look strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark," Han told him, translating for Chewie.

"Thanks to you," Luke said appreciatively.

"That's two you owe me, Junior," Han teased him good-naturedly. Then he turned to Leia, giving her a smug look. "Well, Your Worship," he said, folding his arms. "Looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer." _You want to play? Let's play._

"I had nothing to do with it," Leia insisted. "General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy field."

_Yeah, right._ "That's a good story," Han said amiably. "I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight," he told her, flirting relentlessly. _Come on, kiss me. Or call me a scoundrel. Either one would be fine._

But Leia just sighed in annoyance. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

"Hahahaha!" Chewbacca laughed involuntarily, as Han turned around, giving him a confused look. _Whose side are you on, here?_

"Laugh it up, fuzzball," Han reproached him indignantly.

"Sorry," Chewie apologized, still chuckling.

"But you didn't see us alone in the south passage," Han continued, instantly recovering his bravado. "She expressed her true feelings for me," he insisted with a self-satisfied smile, putting an arm around Leia.

"My - ?" Leia scoffed. "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking... Nerf herder!" she blurted out hotly. _Okay, we're getting close to 'scoundrel' here..._

"Who's scruffy-looking?" Han challenged her, pretending to be hurt. _Scoundrels are scruffy-looking; that's who._ "I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh kid?" he told Luke. _Come on. Call me a scoundrel. 'Han, you old scoundrel.' Or just kiss me. Either way._

"Well I guess you don't know everything about women yet." To Han's utter disbelief, Leia turned to Luke, kissing _him_ instead. And it wasn't just an affectionate peck on the cheek; this was a long, deep, passionate kiss, right on the mouth. Han frowned, feeling a bit sick.

"Well... You got her to kiss _somebody,_" Chewie pointed out optimistically. "That's progress... I think?"

Han gave him a dirty look. _Seriously: whose side are you on?_ And to make matters worse, Luke - who knew perfectly well that Han had been trying to get Leia to kiss him for two years now - was pretending to have actually enjoyed it. _Thanks a lot, guys..._

"Take it easy," Han told Luke reproachfully, heading back toward the docking bay.

* * *

_Gah..._ Leia cringed in disgust, hurrying back toward the command center. _Sorry, Luke; I was just making a point there,_ she sighed. _I love you, sweety, but not in that way._

The truth was that Leia simply didn't feel ready for a romantic relationship with _anyone_, nor did she have the time, with everything that had been going on these past two years. And the sort of person that she would theoretically want to date just wasn't around. Leia had been raised a princess, and as a girl she had dreamed of marrying a prince one day; someone cultured, intelligent, well-mannered, and respected.

_And there are no princes around here,_ Leia confessed. _Just brave Rebel boys._ And she loved them all; especially Luke, and Johnny, and Han. But Leia was a Princess of Alderaan; she wanted to honor the memory of her lost planet, by saving herself for someone worthy.

_Han is no prince,_ Leia admitted regretfully, as she returned to the command center. _He has the worst manners of anyone I've ever met,_ she confessed, still baffled by his wildly inappropriate advances back in Luke's recovery room. _And there he is again,_ Leia sighed anxiously, spotting Han in the command center now. _Please, Han, don't embarrass me in front of all these people._

"Princess, we have a visitor," General Rieekan told her now. "Picked up something outside the base's Zone Twelve, moving east." _What?_ Leia thought worriedly, going closer to listen to the transmission, along with Han and Chewie. _The snow monster... It's still after Luke?_

"It's metal," the radio controller told them.

_Oh..._ "Then it couldn't be one of those creatures," Leia said, relieved.

"Could be a speeder; one of ours," Han guessed.

"No," the controller said. "Wait... There's something very weak coming through," he told them, turning the radio up so they could hear. _It sounds like some kind of weird garbled mess,_ Leia thought, confused. _What the heck is that?_

"Sir, I'm fluent in six million forms of communication," Threepio informed Rieekan. "This signal is not used by the Alliance," he said. "It could be an Imperial code."

_Maybe,_ Leia thought, disturbed by the idea. _But why would Imperials send an encoded signal over our local radio channels?_ she wondered, trying to understand. _There would be no point to that._

"It isn't friendly, whatever it is," Han decided. "Come on, Chewie, let's check it out."

_I'm glad he's still here,_ Leia confessed, grateful for Han's resourcefulness and take-charge attitude. With Johnny gone, and Luke injured, she had to admit that Han was the most qualified person to deal with this matter. _And he isn't even really a member of the Alliance,_ she realized.

_He'll never join us, officially,_ Leia admitted, with a rueful smile. Han was far too stubborn and independent, and had made it clear that he wasn't interested in her crazy Rebellion. _But actions speak louder than words,_ Leia confessed, touched by his stalwart devotion. _And in Han's case, that's saying a lot, because his words speak pretty damned loud._

_I want him to stay,_ Leia confessed. _Even with all his stupid teasing, I'd rather have him stay, than leave._ She would miss him terribly if he were gone, and couldn't bear the thought of him going back to Jabba, to possibly face torture, or even death. _I love him,_ Leia admitted. _In a way that I don't love Johnny, or Luke. And it scares me. I hate that I love him,_ she thought quietly. _But I do love him._

But now the strange radio signal broke off abruptly. "I'm afraid there's not much left," Han said, over the transmitter.

"What was it?" Leia asked.

"Droid of some kind," Han told them. "I didn't hit it that hard; must have had a self-destruct."

"An Imperial probe droid," Leia realized. _But why the streaming gibberish...?_

"It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here," Han agreed.

"We'd better start the evacuation," General Rieekan decided regretfully.

_Crap,_ Leia thought unhappily, as they began their preparations. _We just got here, and now we have to leave again?_ It would take them several hours to complete their evacuation, and Leia knew that she would be busy the entire time, helping to organize their efforts. _And what if Han just decides to leave, and I never see him again?_ she thought worriedly. _I never even thanked him, for saving Luke._

She managed to slip away for a minute, and found him in the docking bay, working on the _Falcon._ "Han," she said, giving him a concerned look as she approached. _I'm serious, Han. I don't have time for games._ "You're cleared to leave," she told him. "But I have one favor to ask of you."

He looked surprised, but nodded quietly. "All right," he agreed, not even knowing what it was.

"Meet us at the rendezvous point," Leia said gently. "I need to talk to you," she confessed. "One civilized discussion," she asked him, with a rueful smile. "And then if you want to leave... I won't stop you."

Han blinked, momentarily confused; but he nodded in agreement. "Okay," he promised her. "I'll see you there."

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Admiral?" Captain Piett said respectfully.

"Yes, Captain," Admiral Ozzel replied.

"I think we've got something, sir," Piett informed him. "The report is only a fragment, from a probe droid in the Hoth system; but it's the best lead we've had."

Vader blinked in surprise, overhearing them. _Hoth?_ he thought, curious. _The Rebels would never go there,_ he knew; it was a remote ice planet, with temperatures so low that speeders and other equipment wouldn't function properly in the cold.

"We have thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy," Ozzel was saying now, his annoyance obvious. "I want proof, not leads." Vader grinned in amusement; Ozzel was all in a huff over Vader's new probe droid strategy, and it was worth it just to see him spew and fume.

"The visuals indicate life readings," Piett pointed out.

"It could mean anything," Ozzel scoffed. "If we followed up every lead - "

"But sir," Piett interrupted him politely. "The Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of humans," he pointed out. _You tell him, Piett,_ Vader thought, going over to help him out. _I like this guy; he has courage, to stand up to Ozzel._

"You've found something?" Vader asked curiously, joining them now.

"Yes, My Lord," Piett said respectfully, showing him the captured image on the computer monitor. Vader peered at it momentarily; the structure was definitely man-made, as Piett indicated. But quietly Vader realized that Ozzel was right: _This could mean anything._

But that was the beauty of Vader's new probe droid strategy: the pictures they transmitted on a daily basis gave Vader a convenient excuse to send his entire fleet anywhere in the galaxy, any time he wanted, throwing them off the Rebels' track. All he had to do was give the order.

_Yeah, there's no way they'd be on Hoth,_ Vader was certain. "That's it," he told the others confidently. "The Rebels are there."

"My Lord," Ozzel replied, in a condescending tone. "There are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers; it could be - "

"That is the system," Vader insisted. _Shut up, Ozzel._ The Admiral was right, of course; Vader guessed that it was probably some type of smuggling outpost. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them," he added cryptically. Ozzel was obsessed with finding Luke; as always, he was hoping to impress the Emperor. "Set your course for the Hoth system," Vader commanded Captain Piett. "General Veers, prepare your men."

_All right, Luke,_ Vader thought with a cheerful grin, heading back to his office. _Wherever you guys are, I've just bought you a few more hours to get settled in your new base,_ he thought proudly. _I'm sending Ozzel on a wild Bantha chase, to some ice cube in the middle of nowhere,_ he laughed in amusement. _This should keep him busy for at least half a day,_ Vader estimated, stepping inside his private office.

Vader smiled wistfully, thinking of Luke as he took a seat in his swivel chair, closing the hatch door. _You're welcome._


	12. Han is a scoundrel!

**Chapter 12**

_What's that?_ Vader wondered, noticing a new type of blinking message on his computer display; he was still trying to get used to his new office set-up. _Aha: General Veers wishes to report to me in person. He must have an update on the wild Bantha chase,_ he realized cheerfully, pressing one button to open his chamber's outer door, then another to open the hatch to his inner office. _Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of this._

"What is it, General?" Vader asked, curious to learn what they had found on Hoth.

"My Lord, the fleet has moved out of lightspeed," General Veers reported. "ComScan has detected an energy field protecting an area of the sixth planet of the Hoth system," he told him. "The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."

_What? A__n energy field?_ Vader blinked in alarm; that could only mean one thing. _The Rebels are actually there? Damn it! All right; think fast..._ "The Rebels are alerted to our presence," Vader observed, frowning. _Hopefully they've found my babbling probe droid,_ he thought worriedly. _Ahh, get out of there, guys!_ "Admiral Ozzel came out of lightspeed too close to the system." _This is getting out of hand._

"He felt surprise was wiser - "

"He is as clumsy as he is stupid," Vader retorted. _Actually, he's incredibly competent; that's the whole problem,_ he confessed. _He's probably getting ready to air-bomb the entire base, like he did on Lok,_ he realized. _Well, not if I can help it._ "General, prepare your troops for a surface attack," he instructed Veers. _That will give the Rebels the advantage,_ Vader knew. _And it will take us some time to adapt our equipment to the cold._

"Yes, My Lord," General Veers replied, taking his leave.

_All right, Ozzel,_ Vader thought darkly, swiveling around to face his giant video screen. _I've had enough of you._

"Lord Vader," Ozzel said, replying to his transmission. "The fleet has moved out of lightspeed, and we're preparing to - "

_You're preparing to decimate my children, that's what._ "You have failed me for the last time, Admiral," Vader reproached him, reaching out with the Force and clutching Ozzel's throat in a merciless strangle-hold. _I don't care if you're Palpatine's favorite officer; I won't allow you to harm Luke or Leia, ever again._ "Captain Piett," he said calmly, still holding Ozzel in his dark grasp.

"Yes, My Lord," Piett replied, stepping up to the video screen.

"Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field," Vader instructed him; the Rebels' best chance would be against a ground assault, rather than a full-on air bombardment. "And deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system," he told Piett. _The Rebels have an ion cannon; they should be able to get past our ships, if we just hold back._ "You are in command now, _Admiral_ Piett," Vader informed him, as Ozzel fell to the floor, still strangling to death.

"Thank you, Lord Vader," Piett replied respectfully, turning to carry out his orders.

Vader sighed, switching off the transmission. _So the Rebels actually ARE on Hoth,_ he blinked, still surprised. _They're crazier than I thought._ But he was confident that they would be able to escape the Imperials' ground assault, and get past his fleet. _I doubt we'll be able to adapt our speeders to the cold in time,_ he realized. _We might be able to deploy a few AT-ATs, but that's about it._

_Sorry, Luke,_ Vader thought apologetically. _I was trying to lead Ozzel AWAY from you guys._ But now he frowned worriedly, troubled by another thought. _I haven't heard any news of Leia for two years now,_ he admitted, concerned for his daughter.

_Well,_ Vader thought, getting up from his swivel chair and exiting his private office. _If we have to invade their base, I will at least go down there, and lead the attack on the command center myself,_ he decided. _With any luck, I'll find some evidence that Leia is still with them._ Vader's brows furrowed in concern as he continued toward the docking bay to prepare his shuttle. _I hope she's all right._

* * *

_An hour later..._

"You all right?" Han asked, appearing in the doorway of the command center.

_Yes, I'm fine,_ Leia sighed in annoyance. _But more to the point..._ "Why are you still here?" she reproached him; Han was supposed to have left over an hour ago.

"I heard the command center had been hit," he told her.

"You've got your clearance to leave," Leia reminded him impatiently. _Just get out of here. We'll talk later,_ she thought, frantically working to delete the last of the Alliance's private data from the facility's computers. _I don't have time to deal with you right now._

"Don't worry, I'll leave," Han agreed, crawling over the rubble to get to her. "But first I'm gonna get you to your ship."

"Your Highness, we must take this last transport," Threepio insisted. "It's our only hope."

_That's right,_ Leia agreed. _And General Rieekan is already taking care of it; he'll radio us when it's time to board._ "Send all troops in sector twelve to the south slope to protect the fighters," Leia told the controller, climbing across the destroyed command center. _Luke needs backup out there._

But suddenly another explosion shook the facility. "Imperial troops have entered the base. Imperial troops have - "

"Come on," Han insisted quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's it."

Leia gave him a frustrated look. _Han, we have an order of command around here. I can't just leave my post._ But she sighed unhappily, realizing that he was right. _This is bad. We have to get out of here._ "Give the evacuation code signal," Leia instructed the controller. "And get to your transports!" she commanded the others, as Han escorted her out to the hallway.

"Oh! Wait for me!" Threepio exclaimed, following them.

_Where are we going?_ Leia wondered, blinking in confusion as Han dragged her through the hallway toward the other side of the base. General Rieekan had left several minutes ago to prepare their transport; his plan was to pick them up right outside the command center, when it was time to leave.

They arrived at the main hangar now, to find it completely empty. "Damn it," Han muttered, grabbing his transmitter. "Transport, this is Solo," he said, his brows furrowing anxiously. "Where are you guys?"

"Just outside the command center," came General Rieekan's reply. "We're ready for take-off; just waiting on the Princess."

Leia rolled her eyes. _Nice job, Han._

Han sighed, nodding. "All right," he agreed. "We're on the way." He dragged her back through the hallways, the way they'd come; but suddenly a huge explosion shook the facility, and the ceiling collapsed in front of them, blocking the tunnel.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Leia exclaimed, as Han quickly pushed her to the ground, protecting her from the falling rubble.

"Transport, this is Solo," Han said, calling General Rieekan. "Better take off; I can't get to you," he told him regretfully. "I'll get her out on the _Falcon,_" he promised. "Come on," he said, grabbing Leia by the arm and dragging her quickly back through the hallway.

"Ahh," Leia sighed in annoyance, hurrying to keep up with him. _Han, this is why it's important to follow protocol,_ she thought indignantly. _If you had just left when you were supposed to, I'd be with my transport now, and we wouldn't be in this mess,_ Leia realized. _I love you, Han... But honestly, you can be such a moron sometimes._

Chewbacca called to them urgently now, and they ran aboard the _Falcon;_ but the ship refused to start, and Han rushed back to the engine room to try to fix the problem. "How's this?" he asked, as Chewie yelled anxiously from the cockpit.

_Good Lord,_ Leia sighed. "Would it help if I got out and pushed?"

"It might," Han told her, frustrated.

_I wish Johnny were here; he'd have had this fixed hours ago._ "This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade," Leia pointed out anxiously, following Han into the cockpit. With no one left at the base to operate the ion cannon, they would be defenseless against Vader's fleet.

"This baby's got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart," Han insisted, taking a seat. "Come on! Come on!" he called to Chewie urgently. "Switch over; let's hope we don't have a burnout." Vader's troops had already arrived in the hangar; Leia sighed, praying that Han knew what he was doing. "See?" Han told her smugly, as the engine started up again.

Leia shook her head in annoyance. "Someday you're going to be wrong, and I just hope I'm there to see it."

* * *

Vader arrived in the docking bay just in time to see the _Millennium Falcon_ blasting away from Hoth. "Did you see who was on board?" he asked one of his Stormtroopers, still anxious for news of Leia.

"No, My Lord," the Stormtrooper replied. "They had already boarded when we arrived."

Vader sighed; he had searched the command center, hoping to find evidence of Leia's continued involvement with the Rebellion, but all of the computer files had been deleted. "We're finished here," he told his men. "Prepare the shuttle for my departure."

_Well, I guess that's that,_ Vader sighed, heading back through the hallways. _If Leia was here, at least she got away safely._

* * *

_A few minutes later..._

"They're getting closer," Leia exclaimed worriedly; the _Falcon_ had managed to maneuver past the bulk of the Imperial fleet, but they still had several TIE fighters on their tail.

"Oh yeah?" Han countered. "Watch this," he said, pulling the hyperdrive lever.

_Um..._ "Watch what?" Leia asked, hearing a pathetic whirring sound. _I'm no expert, but that didn't sound good._

"I think we're in trouble," Han said apprehensively.

"If I may say so, sir, I noticed earlier the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged," Threepio told them. "It's impossible to go to lightspeed!"

"We're in trouble," Han confirmed, immediately running back toward the engine room.

"Rrrraaaauuuggghhh!" Chewie roared, getting up to follow him; but now he patted Leia on the shoulder, waving a furry arm toward the steering controls. "Rrrufff Rrrruff Aaarrrgghh!" he instructed her quickly, before rushing back to help Han.

_What?_ Leia blinked worriedly. _He wants ME to fly this thing? Gah,_ she sighed anxiously, going over to the pilot's seat. _I really need to get my pilot's license one of these days,_ Leia admitted, taking hold of the steering controls and trying to hold a steady course. _I have no idea what I'm doing._

"Horizontal boosters!" she could hear Han calling out from the engine room, as he and Chewie scrambled to try to fix the hyperdrive. "Alluvial dampers... That's not it," Han yelled. "Bring me the hydrospanner!"

_Ahh,_ Leia cringed anxiously. _I hope I'm doing this right..._ The TIE fighters were still after them, and she wished she knew how to make the ship go faster. _There has to be some kind of accelerator thingy here, somewhere..._ But now her eyes widened in alarm as she looked up to see a gigantic boulder hurtling straight toward the windshield. _Oh, crap!_

"Ow!" Han yelled from the engine room. "Chewie," he reproached him, as Leia cringed in apology. _No, that wasn't his fault... Ahh!_ she gasped again, as another boulder crashed straight into them. _Damn it, I suck at flying..._

"Han, get up here!" Leia called to him anxiously. _Please steer this thing. I have no idea what I'm doing here._ "Asteroids," she informed him, getting up from the pilot's seat. _I totally didn't just steer us into an asteroid field... That didn't happen..._

"Oh, no," Han sighed worriedly. _Yeah... Sorry about that._ "Chewie, set two-seven-one."

_Two-seven-one,_ Leia noted, resolving to start paying better attention. _That must be the code for turning around._ But it _wasn't_ the code for turning around; Leia blinked in alarm as they continued to plow straight forward. "What are you doing?" she asked. "You're not actually going _into_ an asteroid field?"

"They'd be crazy to follow us," Han pointed out.

_Holy crap..._ "You don't have to do this to impress me," Leia told him. _Come on, Han... I get it. You're an amazing pilot, and I can't even steer in a straight line. Just get us out of this mess; I'm sorry._

"Sir," Threepio said. "The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one!"

"Never tell me the odds," Han retorted, continuing straight ahead and maneuvering through the asteroid field.

_Well,_ Leia thought, blinking anxiously. _Threepio said the same thing about surviving the night on Hoth; and Han managed to pull through that,_ she consoled herself. _He's very resourceful,_ she admitted, trying to quell her fear. _I'm sure we'll be fine._

"You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake," Han reminded her. "Well this could be it, sweetheart."

"I take it back," Leia apologized, as they were struck by another asteroid. "We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer," she warned him; two of the TIE fighters chasing them had already crashed.

"Ain't gonna argue with that," Han agreed. "I'm going in closer to one of the big ones."

"Closer?" Leia repeated, incredulous. _Are you completely nuts? Come on, Han; let's just get out of here,_ she pleaded. _I'll try to do a better job of steering this thing, I promise._ But to her amazement, Han's plan actually worked; and a few moments later the two remaining TIE fighters crashed as he led them through a narrow canyon.

"There," Han said, pointing. "That looks pretty good."

"What looks pretty good?" Leia asked, confused.

"Yeah; that'll do nicely," Han said.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but - where are we going?" Threepio asked helplessly.

_I have no idea,_ Leia sighed, giving him an apologetic look. _But apparently we seem to be flying into some type of asteroid cave._ "I hope you know what you're doing," she told Han.

"Yeah, me too," Han agreed, equally apprehensive.

_Well,_ Leia thought, trying to stay optimistic. _This is a little bit safer, anyway,_ she confessed. _Kind of... Sort of... I hope._ But she had to admit that her feelings were telling her otherwise.

_I don't know,_ Leia thought worriedly, as they flew deeper into the cavern. _I have a bad feeling about this._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Vader laughed quietly, returning to his private office. _So, Captain Solo wants to play Crazy Goffbird,_ he realized with amusement. It was a tactic Vader himself had used countless times in the past; though that had been a lifetime ago, during the Clone Wars. _He's trying to hold our attention on him, so the rest of the Rebel fleet can escape to safety._

_Fine; we'll play,_ Vader agreed, impressed by Solo's flying. He had managed to not only maneuver through the entire Imperial fleet, but had then flown straight into an asteroid field, losing the last of his pursuers. _He'll be back, though,_ Vader guessed; he was probably scouting for a large crater to use as a hiding spot, but would soon resurface to taunt them again, always staying just beyond their range, while they wasted hours chasing him.

_I've got nothing better to do today,_ Vader decided amiably, grateful that Solo was providing him with a good excuse to allow the rest of the Rebels to escape. He had ordered his entire fleet to focus their efforts on capturing the _Falcon,_ and had specifically warned them that he wanted the passengers alive. _When are my officers going to catch on that 'I want them alive' is far less threatening than it sounds?_ he chuckled.

But now he noticed another blinking message on his computer display, and realized Admiral Piett wished to speak with him personally. _He has excellent manners,_ Vader noted appreciatively; Ozzel had never once bothered coming to his private office. _All right; this button opens the outer door, and this one opens the inner hatch... No, this one,_ Vader frowned, realizing he had it wrong. _Ahh, what does that other one do, then?_

Suddenly he had his answer, as the robotic claw descended from the ceiling, grabbing onto his helmet and pulling it off his head once again. _Ahh! Damn it..._ Piett was already making his way inside; Vader quickly jammed the hatch door stuck, but it was already halfway open.

_Great,_ Vader sighed, pushing his hat-rack button and waiting for his helmet to make its slow descent. _Way to make an impression with the new Admiral._ He could sense Piett behind him now; but he frowned in surprise, feeling something unusual. It wasn't simply fear, or disgust... _Empathy? Pity?_ Vader wondered, caught off guard; it had been so long since he had sensed compassion from anyone. _That feels... strange,_ he admitted, as his helmet attached itself to his suit once again.

"Yes, Admiral?" Vader asked, swiveling his office chair around to face him. _Please disregard the hat malfunction._

"Our ships have sighted the _Millennium Falcon,_ Lord," Piett reported; his manner was politely deferential, and he did not attempt to hide his obvious uncertainty. "But it has entered an asteroid field, and we cannot risk - "

_Yes, I know._ "Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral," Vader reassured him. _He's playing Crazy Goffbird; it's part of the game._ "I want that ship, not excuses." _The Falcon will resurface any moment now, and keep us busy for hours._

"Yes, Lord," Piett agreed respectfully, grateful for the clarification.

_He is a decent man,_ Vader realized, closing his office hatch door once again. _That is a rare quality in an Imperial officer,_ he admitted, surprised by his newest Admiral's integrity. _All right, Piett: be a good man, and follow my orders, and I promise to take care of you, as best I can._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"I'm gonna shut down everything but the emergency power," Han announced, coming into the cockpit.

"Sir, I'm almost afraid to ask," Threepio said, "but does that include shutting me down too?"

"No, I need you to talk to the _Falcon,_" Han told him. "Find out what's wrong with the hyperdrive."

Suddenly the entire ship lurched, and they lost their balance.

"Sir, it's quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable," Threepio pointed out.

"Not entirely stable?" Han repeated. "I'm glad you're here to tell us these things," he said sarcastically. "Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive."

The ship lurched again, and Han and Leia both fell into the pilot's seat.

"Let go," Leia said quietly; his arms were around her, and she felt suddenly uncomfortable.

"Shh," Han warned her, listening for sounds outside the ship.

_Gah..._ "Let go, please," Leia begged; she felt vulnerable, and naked in his grasp. _I'm afraid of being stuck on this asteroid, and I'm afraid of how I feel about you,_ she confessed, trying to maintain control of her emotions. _I can't deal with both at the same time._

But Han just teased her, as always. "Don't get excited," he said, still not letting go.

_Why do you always have to do this?_ "Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited," she assured him coldly. _I'm not excited; I'm afraid. Come on, please let go of me._

"Sorry, sweetheart," Han apologized, setting her back on her feet. "I haven't got time for anything else," he said with a roguish grin, heading back to work on the ship again.

_Great,_ Leia thought, frustrated once again by Han's inappropriate behavior. _He treats me like some kind of sex-crazed harlot,_ she realized unhappily. Han was always teasing her about how _she_ liked _him;_ but he would never admit to his own feelings. _He's never once complimented me, or told me he liked me; just this constant ridiculous teasing,_ she thought, sighing.

_And he never calls me by the right name,_ Leia lamented. Addressing a princess as 'Your Highness' was a sign of respectful deference, and clear non-sexual interest; but Han used it interchangeably with _'sweetheart'_ - a term indicating romantic affection between a prince and princess who were officially courting one another. _Which we're not,_ Leia frowned indignantly.

Even more annoying was Han's uncanny ability to make _both_ titles sound like insults, rather than terms of respect or endearment. _And don't even get me started on 'Your Worshipfulness',_ Leia sighed wearily.

In truth, the proper way to court a princess was to simply call her by her first name - indicating that you care about her on a personal level, and not just as a political figure. _Han, if you really care about me in that way, then you should call me by my name,_ Leia thought wistfully. _Not 'sweetheart', not 'Your Worship'... just 'Leia',_ she sighed. _Is that so hard to understand?_

But apparently it was; and Leia smiled despite herself, realizing that Han wasn't alone in his ignorance. Luke was adorably clueless; it had simply never occurred to him to call her by anything but her first name. Johnny tried to get it right, and addressed her either as 'Your Highness' or 'Leia', depending on the situation; but even so, he often sounded a bit shy and awkward. Still, no one butchered the rules of etiquette with as much flair as Han did.

_None of them grew up around royalty,_ Leia knew. _It's not their fault they don't know how to act._ Like so many brave Rebel soldiers, Johnny, Luke, and Han all came from lower-class backgrounds. And despite her own royal upbringing, Leia felt a strange affinity to these common boys.

_I wasn't born a princess,_ Leia confessed. She knew that she had been adopted by the Organas, and that her real parents were most likely poor, and young, and unwed. _They weren't even able to raise me,_ Leia realized. _I'm probably the lowest-born of any of us._

And Leia didn't want to repeat her own mother's mistake, by getting involved with someone who would fail as a husband, and father. _All Han and I ever do is fight,_ she admitted. _Even if we did get together, that's no way to bring up children._ Besides, Leia had a responsibility to uphold, to the people of Alderaan. _My planet is lost, and the royal Organa bloodline with it; but I want to honor their memory, by marrying someone worthy of their legacy. I can't bring shame upon them, by falling for a crazy pirate._

_And yet I HAVE fallen for a crazy pirate,_ Leia confessed helplessly. _I love him, even though I know I shouldn't._ Being a princess - especially of a lost planet - was a heavy burden; and deep down, Leia sometimes wished that she could be free of all that, and allow Han to hold her, and kiss her, and do things that no princess ought to allow a pirate to do.

_But I'm no princess,_ Leia admitted with a rueful smile; at least not by birth. _Han, and Luke, and Johnny... They're my kind of people,_ she felt instinctively. _Han may be beneath the Organas,_ she admitted. _But he's not beneath ME._

_And now he's thinking of leaving,_ she realized sadly. _If Han goes back to Jabba, he could be tortured, or killed... All because I'm trying to be proper,_ Leia admitted. _Should I honor my lost planet, and uphold my duty as a princess?_ she wondered again. _Or should I follow my heart, and try to save the man I love from torture and death?_

_I don't know,_ Leia confessed, shaking her head. It was a terrible decision to have to make, and one that she had been trying to deny for a very long time. _But Han promised me one civilized conversation,_ Leia reminded herself. _If we ever make it to the rendezvous point,_ she sighed ruefully, admitting that they were not yet out of danger.

_Ahh... I should offer to help,_ Leia realized, getting up from her seat in the cockpit and going back to find Han and Chewie. _The sooner we can get out of here, the better._

"Well of course I'll have to replace it," Han was saying now. "Here... and Chewie?" he added, lowering his voice apprehensively. "I think we'd better replace the negative power coupling."

"Han," Leia said, joining them in the control room.

"Yes, Your Princessness," Han replied, not looking up from his work.

Leia rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering if there's anything I could do to help."

"Uh..." Han glanced around the control room doubtfully. "Not really," he confessed, continuing with his repairs.

Leia sighed, shaking her head. "That's right; I'm just a girl," she grumbled, heading back to the cockpit.

"Hey, wait," Han called after her, relenting. "Come on," he said, leading the way into the engine room. "All right; this part needs to be welded onto here," he explained, showing her a broken piece of machinery that was mounted to the wall. "Here's a mini-welder," Han said, rummaging through his toolbox. "And some goggles," he added, handing them to her. "Now you just have to press this button, and make sure you point it away from yourself - "

"I know how to weld," Leia told him, scowling indignantly. _I'm not stupid, you know._

"All right, Your Highnessness," Han said defensively. "Okay, then; good," he nodded, as she began to weld the pieces back together.

"What is this thing, anyway?" Leia asked, still intent on her work. _Is this the hyperdrive motivator?_

"Uh, it's my... um - beer can crusher," Han admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

"Your _what_ - ?" Leia turned to him indignantly. _You're making me fix your stupid beer can crusher?_ Sparks flew.

"Hey, point that thing someplace else," Han reproached her, quickly grabbing the mini-welder and switching it off. "You're the one who was complaining about the mess in the kitchen," he pointed out. "How am I supposed to clean the place up if this thing isn't working?"

"Fine," Leia agreed resentfully, turning back to her task. "I'll fix your beer can crusher."

"Okay; thanks," Han said. "I'll be right out here if you need me," he told her, heading back to finish his own work.

_Terrific,_ Leia sighed, continuing with her welding job. _We're stuck inside a giant asteroid; the ship barely even flies, and he wants me to fix his beer can crusher._ She was annoyed at being given this stupid, pointless task; but at the same time she was concerned for Han. _He drinks too much,_ Leia thought worriedly, recalling the collection of empty cans she'd seen littering the kitchen. _Luke says that's normal for Corellians, and he can handle it, but... I don't know,_ Leia sighed, concerned for his health. _He's going to wear out his liver if this keeps up._

_Though he's more likely to be shot down by a bounty hunter, or fed to one of Jabba's pets long before then,_ Leia admitted, realizing once again that she had the power to save him from that fate. _If I tell him how I feel about him...? Maybe he would quit teasing me all the time, if he already HAS me,_ she thought. _And maybe he wouldn't drink so much, either,_ Leia sighed, finishing her work on his beer can crusher.

_There we go,_ Leia thought proudly, flipping the can holder back up and closing the latches. _All fixed._ She turned the lever to test the crushing mechanism, but it wouldn't budge. _Ugh,_ she sighed, trying again; but it was completely jammed. _Oh, crap,_ Leia thought, struggling to get it to move. _Don't tell me I welded it stuck? Gah... I suck at repairs,_ she admitted unhappily. _Good thing this wasn't the hyperdrive._

* * *

"Well that didn't work," Han muttered in frustration, returning to his repair job. He'd _tried_ to treat Leia with respect, by giving her a job to do, but she'd gotten mad at him anyway, as usual.

"What didn't work?" Chewbacca asked curiously, peering down from his access panel in the ceiling.

"Uh... Just trying to isolate the reverse power coupling," Han told him, not wanting to discuss his relationship woes at the moment.

"Oh," Chewie nodded, getting back to work. "Try the opposite way?" he suggested helpfully.

Han nodded, considering it. _That's not a bad idea,_ he admitted, thinking of Leia. _I mean, I always TRY to do the right thing, and she gets mad at me,_ he confessed. _But maybe if I do the exact opposite of what I normally would...? Heck, it couldn't be much worse,_ he decided, setting aside his work for a moment and going back to the engine room to give Chewie's method a try.

_All right; so she's welded the whole damned thing stuck,_ Han observed, as Leia struggled to move the lever on his beer can crusher. Normally he would make some type of sarcastic comment, congratulating her on her remarkable achievement, and pointing out that he'd been right to give her a stupid job that didn't matter. _So... what's the opposite of that?_ Han asked himself, trying to follow Chewie's advice.

_Just help her; that's what,_ Han decided, stepping quietly behind Leia and trying to move the lever. But she shoved him away, giving him a resentful glare. "Hey, Your Worship," Han said defensively. "I'm only trying to help."

"Would you please stop calling me that?" Leia said, still struggling to get it to move.

_Absolutely, Your Exalted Majestyness,_ Han wanted to say; but he stopped himself, deciding to keep trying Chewie's opposite method. _What would I never call her? Her real name,_ he realized with surprise. _Um..._ "Sure, Leia," Han said agreeably.

Leia sighed in annoyance. "You make it so difficult sometimes," she told him.

_Opposite... Uh, just agree with her, I guess?_ "I do, I really do," Han conceded. _Now what?_ It was difficult to refrain from making a sarcastic comment, but he wanted to give this approach a fair try. _So what's the opposite of sarcasm? Honesty, I guess,_ he decided, cringing inwardly at the thought. _Gah... okay then._ "You could be a little nicer, though," Han told her simply, confessing to his own hurt feelings. "Come on, admit it; sometimes you think I'm all right." _Ahh, this feels really uncomfortable..._

Leia gave up on her task, nursing a sore finger. "Occasionally," she conceded; Han took this opportunity to do the opposite of what he normally would, by taking her hand in his, and massaging it gently. _I usually try to keep a respectful distance,_ he realized. _But this is all right; it's not like I'm kissing her, or anything._ "Maybe," Leia added reluctantly, backing away from him. _MAYBE I'm okay? Occasionally?_ Han sighed in dismay. "When you aren't acting like a scoundrel," she told him, with a reproachful look.

_What? Did she actually say -_ "Scoundrel?" Han asked, caught off guard. _It worked? Opposite actually worked?_ "Scoundrel," he repeated, with a roguish grin. _She loves me!_ "I like the sound of that."_ I haven't played 'scoundrel' in so long..._

"Stop that," Leia said uncomfortably, looking at her hand.

"Stop what?" Han asked. _You said 'scoundrel'; it means you want to play games,_ he knew. _I like to play games too._

"Stop that," Leia said again. "My hands are dirty."

"My hands are dirty too," Han assured her. _Dirty games? Even better..._ "What are you afraid of?" _She's playing the fair and virtuous maiden, afraid of doing anything improper... Sure; fine with me,_ he thought, catering to her fantasies. _Whatever you like, sweetheart._

"Afraid?" Leia asked, feigning denial.

"You're trembling," Han pointed out. _Damn it... she really is trembling,_ he realized. _Leia... you're afraid of me?_ Han wondered suddenly. _I've stayed with your Rebellion for two years, and let this stupid debt pile up, to protect you... And you're afraid of me?_

"I'm not trembling," Leia protested. _Crap... Maybe I should back off?_ Han thought, concerned. _She's really scared._ But he decided to stick to his original plan. _Opposite,_ Han reminded himself stubbornly. _I would normally back off, so I won't now. Besides, she said 'scoundrel'._

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel," Han insisted gently. "There aren't enough scoundrels in your life." This was how the 'scoundrel' game was played; Leia would pretend to object, but she was only engaging in fantasy roleplay, and had already given Han permission to kiss her.

"I happen to like nice men," Leia told him, admitting to her deepest sexual fantasy.

_All right, sweetheart; whatever turns you on._ "I'm a nice man," Han murmured obediently, playing along.

"No, you're not," Leia protested. "You're - "

_Eh, she said 'scoundrel'... I'm going for it,_ Han decided, kissing her passionately on the lips. It felt incredible, and agonizingly wonderful; even more amazing than he had ever imagined. He'd waited two long years for this moment; but now he had finally managed to -

"Sir! Sir!" Threepio exclaimed, tapping him on the shoulder. "I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling!"

_You've got to be kidding me..._ "Thank you," Han glowered, turning around to face him. "Thank you very much."

"Oh, you're perfectly welcome, sir!" Threepio replied ecstatically. _Yeah; get the hell out of here, Goldenrod._

Han turned back to Leia; but she was already gone. _Damn it,_ he sighed. _Now what?_ His instincts told him to go after her, and continue with their kissing. _Or have a conversation, or something,_ he thought, blinking uncertainly. But then again, his instincts had completely failed him for two years straight, whereas doing the opposite seemed to be working pretty darned well.

_I won't push her,_ Han decided regretfully, going back to his repair work. _I'll just let her have a little time to herself._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"And that, Lord Vader, was the last time they appeared in any of our scopes," Captain Needa reported, via hologram transmission. "Considering the amount of damage we've sustained, they must have been destroyed."

Vader sighed wearily; Captain Needa was taking his job far too seriously today, and had plowed his Star Destroyer straight into the asteroid field, attempting to disintegrate the gigantic boulders with his ship's laser weapons. _Watch it, Needa; you're getting on my nerves._

"No, Captain, they're alive," Vader insisted. "I want every ship available to sweep the asteroid field until they are found." _But where are they?_ he wondered again. If Solo was in fact playing Crazy Goffbird, he wasn't playing by any rules that Vader knew. _He should have resurfaced long before now, to keep taunting us into following him,_ he realized. _Maybe he's already jumped to lightspeed?_

"Lord Vader," Admiral Piett called to him now, hurrying to catch up.

"Yes, Admiral?" Vader replied politely. "What is it?"

"The Emperor commands you to make contact with him," Piett said, his apprehension obvious.

_Damn it,_ Vader sighed. _What does he want now?_ "Move the ship out of the asteroid field, so that we can send a clear transmission," he instructed Piett, heading back to his private office. _Gah... Just what I need._

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader asked, kneeling before his holographic image.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force," Sidious informed him.

_There is?_ Vader blinked. "I have felt it," he lied cautiously. _Crap, did I miss something?_

"We have a new enemy," Sidious continued. _Oh, great,_ Vader sighed. _And I thought this day couldn't get bad enough._ "The young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star..." _Huh? Oh, you're just finding out about Luke?_ Vader realized, with an amused grin. _That only took you, what - a day and a half,_ he laughed quietly. _You might want to listen to the news once in a while._ "I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker," Sidious added maliciously.

_Yeah yeah,_ Vader sighed, wincing painfully at his own name. _Congratulations; you got to me._ The Emperor was well aware of Vader's ongoing attempt to delete Anakin Skywalker from history, and knew that even the mention of his true name was painful to him. _But as long as we're playing games..._ "How is that possible?" Vader asked, feigning ignorance as always.

"Search your feelings, Lord Vader," Sidious told him. "You will know it to be true." _So... HAVE you read the news, or not?_ Vader wondered, blinking. _Or are you just trying to trick me?_ "He could destroy us," the Emperor said worriedly.

_Don't I wish._ "He is just a boy," Vader assured him. "Obi-Wan can no longer help him."

"The Force is strong with him," Sidious insisted. "The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."

_Gah..._ Vader cringed at the mention of his name again. _He's going after my weak spots, and trying to twist the knife,_ he realized. _Fine; two can play that game,_ he decided, smiling mischievously as an idea came to him. _Haha, watch this..._ "If he could be turned, he could become a 'Powerful Ally'," Vader said cryptically, referring to one of the euphemisms Sidious used for his illegal second Apprentice, Mara Jade.

_'Powerful Ally', and 'Great Asset'; that's what you call Mara, right?_ Vader thought, enjoying this little power play. _So if I want to have a 'Powerful Ally' of my own, you can't very well stop me, can you?_ he realized, amused by the idea.

The Emperor's brows furrowed. "Yes..." He frowned, realizing he'd been beaten at his own game. "He would be a 'Great Asset'," he conceded reluctantly. _Haha... Awesome,_ Vader laughed, though he had no intention of going through with it. "Can it be done?" Sidious asked.

_Hey, you would know,_ Vader thought. _You're the expert at turning people to the Dark side._ "He will join us, or die, Master," Vader promised, bowing deeply before him. _Actually, he will most likely continue to outsmart us, and we'll never see him again,_ he admitted ruefully, switching off the holo-transmitter and heading back to the command bridge.

_I don't know about you, Master,_ Vader grinned quietly, realizing he'd just been given permission to take on an illegal Apprentice of his own. _I've spent two decades trying to be the Worst Sith Lord Ever, but I gotta say, you're giving me a run for my money here._


	13. Yoda is insane

**Chapter 13**

"Pollywog soup... Mmm-hm-hm-hmm!" the little alien giggled happily. "Good food! Yum yum!"

"Look, I'm sure it's delicious," Luke said, attempting to be polite. "I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now." _Ah, Leia was right,_ he admitted. _I shouldn't listen to voices in my head; especially right after I've gotten a concussion from being attacked by a snow monster,_ Luke realized, though it was too late now. _I was stupid to come here,_ he sighed. _And this little fella is getting on my nerves._

"Patience!" the bog-dweller chided him. "For the Jedi, it is time to eat as well. Hmm?" he pointed out. "Hmm hmm... Eat! Heehee hee hee... Eat!" _Gah... All right,_ Luke sighed, serving himself some pollywog soup. "Hot!" the little creature said cheerfully. "Good food! Mmmm? Good? Hmm?" _Ugh, that is awful,_ Luke cringed, tasting the soup. _No wonder he tried to gobble up all my travel rations._

"How far away is Yoda?" Luke asked. "Will it take us long to get there?" _Because I've had just about enough of you,_ he sighed; his new friend had made a complete mess of all his stuff, and stolen his lamp. _And I need to get back to the rendezvous point before too long,_ Luke admitted. No one knew he was here on Dagobah; he'd called General Rieekan earlier, claiming to be stuck on Sullust for some repairs.

"Not far!" the creature assured him. "Yoda not far! Patience; soon you will be with him!" he promised, coming over to join Luke by the fire. "Root leaf! I cook!" he announced proudly. "Why wish you become Jedi?" he wanted to know. "Hmm?"

_That's easy: to kill Vader... And because it seems really cool, in general._ "Well, mostly because of my father, I guess," Luke confessed; Leia had told him her theory - that Anakin had been the one to scar Vader for life, putting him in that dreaded suit. _I want to finish the job he started._

"Ah! Father! Powerful Jedi, was he," the little alien agreed confidently. "Heehee! Mmmmm... Powerful Jedi."

"Oh, come on; how could you know my father?" Luke asked him. _NOBODY knows my father._ "You don't even know who I am," he pointed out. "I don't even know what I'm doing here... We're wasting our time," he said, frustrated. _Gah... This whole place is putting me in a bad mood,_ Luke confessed ruefully, surprised by his outburst. _I don't know what's wrong; I'm not usually like this._

"I cannot teach him," the creature said quietly. "The boy has no patience." _Huh?_ Luke looked at him, confused. _What's he talking about?_ Then his eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice in his head.

_"He will learn patience,"_ Ben said, from out of nowhere. _Oh, crap,_ Luke realized worriedly. _This isn't normal._ Leia knew a lot more about the history of the Jedi than Luke did, and had explained to him that seeing ghosts and hearing voices was a _crazy_ thing, rather than a _Jedi_ thing.

But apparently his new friend was crazy too, for he seemed to have heard it as well. "Hmm," the elderly alien sighed, turning to face Luke. "Much anger in him."

_What?_ Luke blinked, hurt by the accusation. _Not usually, I swear... People are always telling me I'm TOO cheerful,_ he thought. _This place is really getting me down,_ Luke admitted unhappily. _I'm not normally an angry person._

"Like his father," the creature added regretfully. _Huh? What are you talking about?_ Luke wondered, deeply confused.

_"Was I any different when you taught me?"_ came Ben's voice again. _No; he didn't actually say that,_ Luke told himself stubbornly. _I'm just imagining things._ But then he stared at his new friend, as the realization began to sink in. _Wait... YOU were Ben's teacher?_

"He is not ready," the bog-dweller replied, apparently hearing Ben's words too. _No way..._

"Yoda?" Luke asked, incredulous. Leia had told him about the great Master Yoda, former leader of the Jedi Council; he stared at him in disbelief now. _Thanks, Leia. You might have mentioned to me that he was a little green troll._

"I am ready!" Luke told him. _And apparently hearing voices IS a Jedi thing, after all._ "Ben, I - I can be a Jedi!" he insisted. _See: I can already hear voices, perfectly clear; I'm practically a Jedi already._ "Ben, tell him I'm rea- " _Owww..._ Luke cringed, hitting his head on the ceiling.

_Well this is off to a good start._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Bounty hunters," Admiral Piett said disdainfully, thinking he was out of earshot. "We don't need their scum."

_No, we don't,_ Vader agreed with a weary sigh; news of the Hoth battle had reached the media, and Jabba's bounty hunters had all flocked here to the asteroid field, hoping to capture Solo for themselves. _But don't worry; I'll take care of them._

"There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the _Millennium Falcon,_" Vader told the bounty hunters; he had invited them all aboard to have a little chat with them. "You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them _alive,_" he specified. "No disintegrations."

"As you wish," Boba Fett agreed, as the others nodded respectfully.

_Good,_ Vader thought; but then his brows furrowed as he sensed something unusual. _Fear... Anxiety?_ But it wasn't from any of the bounty hunters; the feeling was very weak, and seemed to be coming from outside the ship. _What's that?_

"Lord Vader," Admiral Piett called to him now. "My Lord: we have them."

_Oh,_ Vader realized. _That's what._ He turned to the control station now, watching the live video transmission that was coming from Captain Needa's ship, the _Avenger_. The_ Millennium Falcon_ was being chased by Needa's Star Destroyer, and Vader blinked worriedly as he saw the _Falcon_ lurch in the wake of a fiery explosion. _The Avenger's weapons are on full power,_ he realized. _Damn it, Needa..._

"Admiral," Vader said calmly, turning to Piett. "Remind Captain Needa that his orders are to _capture_ the _Millennium Falcon,_ not destroy it."

"Yes, My Lord," Piett replied, giving Vader an apologetic look. _Yes, I know that wasn't your fault,_ Vader sighed. _Captain Needa is a loose cannon. But he will be dealt with,_ Vader resolved, turning back to the video monitor.

_Solo is having engine problems,_ Vader could see now, observing the _Falcon's_ glaring lack of evasive maneuvers, and failure to jump to hyperspace. _He hasn't been playing Crazy Goffbird after all,_ he realized suddenly. _He's really in trouble._ Vader could still sense the anxiety on board the _Falcon;_ but now the sensation turned to sheer terror as the _Falcon_ turned around, launching an attack against the _Avenger._

"It's disappeared," the controller remarked, baffled. "Did it jump to lightspeed?"

_No,_ Vader knew; if Solo had been able to jump to lightspeed, there would have been no point in turning to attack them. _The Falcon is nearby,_ he sensed. _And I think I know who is on board,_ he realized now, his heart fluttering as he picked up a faint but familiar presence. _Leia..._ Vader smiled, relieved to finally have confirmation that his daughter was still alive; but then he frowned, admitting that she was still in trouble. _They must be hiding on the side of the ship,_ Vader guessed, thinking quickly. _All right; hold on, Leia. I'll try to get you out of this mess._

"Tell Captain Needa I demand an update on the pursuit," Vader commanded Piett. "And meet me in my office," he added brusquely, heading down the hallway toward his private quarters. _I'll need to think of a way to throw the bounty hunters off their trail as well,_ he realized, entering his inner office and taking a seat in his swivel chair. _Hopefully Piett can help me with that._

"You wanted to speak with me, My Lord?" Admiral Piett asked politely, joining him in his office a minute later.

"Yes, Admiral," Vader replied, swiveling his chair around to face him. _I need to know if you can carry out blatantly stupid orders._ "I want you to report that your scan of the area has found nothing; and that you believe the _Millennium Falcon_ has jumped to lightspeed, and is most likely on the other side of the galaxy by now," he instructed him. "Then you are to deploy the fleet, and set a course for Belkadan."

"Yes, My Lord," Piett replied; but he gave Vader a worried look. "But - My Lord... It's been only a few minutes," he pointed out. "Even with special modifications, no ship could make it clear across the galaxy in less than twelve hours - " He broke off suddenly, clutching his throat.

"Perhaps I was not clear," Vader said calmly, grasping him in a gentle but determined choke-hold. "You will give me this report, as instructed," he insisted. "In front of the bounty hunters," he explained, pointing a warning finger at Piett as he released his grasp.

"Oh." Piett gulped, blinking. "Yes, My Lord," he agreed, realizing what Vader was up to. _That's right, Piett; this will rid us of the bounty hunters. And when I give an order, you need to trust that I have my reasons, whether you see them or not._ "I understand," Piett assured him. "And I apologize," he added respectfully. "It is not my place to question your orders."

"No, it is not," Vader agreed calmly. "A lesson which your predecessor learned the hard way," he pointed out. "And one which Captain Needa is about to learn as well," he warned him. "It would be unfortunate if you chose to follow in their footsteps."

"Understood, My Lord," Piett replied, with a respectful nod. "It shall be as you command."

"Good," Vader said. "Now, return to the bridge," he instructed him. "I will join you momentarily."

"Thank you, Lord Vader," Admiral Piett said politely, bowing as he took his leave.

_Interesting,_ Vader thought, as the Admiral left his chamber. _He is not afraid to question authority; but he has never disobeyed a direct order,_ he realized. _He has courage, and intelligence, and a sense of honor,_ Vader observed. _So that is what I must use, to gain his loyalty._

A messaged blinked on his computer screen, and Vader switched on the video transmitter. "Lord Vader," Admiral Piett reported from the bridge, remaining at his post as he had been instructed. "Captain Needa wishes to apologize to you in person."

"I'm on my way," Vader replied, switching off the transmission and leaving his private office. _All right, Needa,_ he frowned, continuing back through the hallway toward the command bridge. _You're going to teach my crew the importance of following orders._

"Lord Vader," Captain Needa said respectfully, standing at attention. "I apologize for losing the _Millennium Falcon_, and I - "

"Remind me, Captain Needa," Vader interrupted, holding him in a Force-choke. "What exactly were your orders?"

"To - capture the _Millennium Falcon - _" Needa gasped, clutching at his throat.

"Then explain to me, Captain," Vader continued. "If your orders were to capture the _Falcon,_ why were your weapons set at maximum power?" he challenged him, frowning in reproach. _You could have killed my daughter._

"I thought that - perhaps I could disable its rear deflec - " Needa choked pathetically.

"The _Millennium Falcon_ is known to have a strong shielding system," Vader told him. "You wasted valuable time firing at it pointlessly, when you should have been preparing to lock onto it with your tractor beam. And now, because of your clumsiness, it has escaped us completely."

Needa gulped. "I'm sorry, Lord Vader; I - " he broke off as Vader tightened his grasp.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa," Vader said calmly, as Needa fell to his knees. _All right; did everyone see that?_ he hoped, gesturing for the guards to drag his body away. _That's what happens when you disobey my orders, and endanger my children._ He continued toward the command bridge to receive Admiral Piett's report. _This is your chance, Piett,_ Vader thought, testing his new Admiral's loyalty. _Don't screw this up._

"Lord Vader," Piett said respectfully. "Our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing," he reported. "If the _Millennium Falcon_ went to lightspeed, it will be on the other side of the galaxy by now," he predicted, managing to appear serious.

Vader grinned. _Good boy, Piett. You're a better liar than I would have imagined._ He could sense surprise and eagerness amongst the bounty hunters, who were listening intently to their conversation, hoping to get a lead. "Alert all commands," Vader instructed the Admiral. "Calculate every possible destination along their last known trajectory."

"Yes, My Lord," Piett agreed, nodding. "We'll find them."

"Don't fail me again, Admiral," he warned Piett, leaving him on the bridge to carry out the rest of his orders. _He'll deploy the fleet, and set a course for Belkadan,_ Vader knew, as he returned to his office. _And the bounty hunters will rush to get there before we do._

Vader sat in his swivel chair, closing his eyes and reaching out with the Force. _Don't worry, Leia,_ he thought, smiling wistfully as he sensed her presence once again. _We'll be out of your way in a minute,_ he promised, grateful to know that she was all right.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"What do you have in mind for your next move?" Leia asked quietly, as they watched the Imperial fleet break up.

"Well, if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed," Han told her. "And then we just float away."

"With the rest of the garbage," Leia agreed ruefully. _Not a bad idea._ "Then what?"

"Then we gotta find a safe port somewhere around here," Han said, looking at his charts. "Wait; this is interesting," he said thoughtfully. "Lando..."

"Lando system?" Leia asked, uncertain.

"Lando's not a system; he's a man," Han told her. "Lando Calrissian. He's a card player; gambler... _scoundrel,_" he added, giving Leia a meaningful look. "You'd like him."

"Thanks," Leia said, laughing quietly; she had a feeling that Han's definition of 'scoundrel' was different than her own.

"Bespin," Han murmured thoughtfully. "It's pretty far, but I think we can make it." He seemed fairly confident that his friend would be able to help them, and Leia nodded quietly, trusting him. "Here we go, Chewie; stand by," Han said, as the Star Destroyer dumped its garbage. "Detach."

"You have your moments," Leia confessed, patting him on the shoulder. "Not many of them; but you do have them," she said, giving him a little kiss on the temple before going back to her seat. _I love you Han,_ she admitted to herself. _And as soon as we're out of this mess, I'll tell you._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Concentrate," Yoda said, as Luke stood on his hands, lifting two crates into the air. "Feel the Force flow... Yes; good," he added approvingly, as Artoo began to levitate as well. "Calm; yes... Through the Force, things you will see," Yoda told him. "Other places: the future; the past... Old friends, long gone."

_Right; like Ben,_ Luke thought, realizing that Leia had been wrong all along. _Master Yoda says it's completely normal to talk to ghosts._ But then he blinked suddenly, having another vision. "Han? Leia!" he exclaimed; Artoo screamed as Luke lost his concentration, dropping him to the ground. _Crap! Something's wrong!_ "I saw - I saw a city in the clouds," Luke told Yoda worriedly.

"Hmm," Yoda sighed. "Friends you have there."

_Yes..._ "They were in pain," Luke said, concerned. _Where are they? That's not the rendezvous point..._

"It is the future you see," Yoda told him.

"Future?" Luke asked. _This isn't good,_ he realized anxiously, getting to his feet. "Will they die?"

Yoda closed his eyes. "Difficult to see," he told Luke. "Always in motion is the future."

_So there's still a chance I can save them..._ "I've got to go to them," Luke resolved, heading for his ship.

"Decide you must, how to serve them best," Yoda called after him; Luke turned around reluctantly, listening to what he had to say. "If you leave now, help them you could," Yoda conceded. "But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."

_I don't get it,_ Luke thought; but he nodded respectfully. _Wait, no,_ he sighed, shaking his head. _I REALLY don't get it._ "So you're saying - if I have a dream that something bad is going to happen, and I try to do something about it... I'll just make things worse?" he asked, trying to understand.

"Yes," Yoda told him. "Plagued by bad dreams, young Vader was, before he turned to the Dark side," he said. "Dreams of loved ones," he added, pointing a finger at Luke. "Attachment leads to jealousy," Yoda warned him. "The shadow of greed, that is... Oh! A lizard!" he exclaimed suddenly, his eyes widening. "Meeeheeheehee!" he giggled, chasing after it. "Tasty lizard! Good food! Yum yum!"

_What the - ?_ Luke blinked in utter confusion as Yoda abandoned their lesson, distracted by his dinner. It had been like this all day; one minute Yoda seemed to be a wise and powerful Jedi Master, and the next he was a giggling lunatic. _I don't understand him,_ Luke confessed, sighing. _Are all Jedi this weird?_ He had to admit that even Ben Kenobi had been generally regarded as a 'crazy old wizard' back on Tatooine.

_Gah... I have to get out of here,_ Luke confessed unhappily, remembering not only his disturbing vision of Han and Leia, but his very real need to meet up with the others at the rendezvous point. _Besides, this whole place is strange,_ Luke admitted. _It puts me in a bad mood; all I do is complain, and have horrible visions all the time... I don't know how Master Yoda handles it,_ he sighed regretfully. _Maybe he doesn't handle it so well, either,_ Luke thought, watching the elderly Jedi Master splashing through a nearby puddle, still trying to catch the lizard.

"Oh, oh... Ohhhhh," Yoda grumbled in disappointment, as his dinner got away. "No lizard stew, for us tonight," he told Luke sadly, returning to the camp.

"That's all right," Luke said, picking up a crate of supplies and carrying it toward his X-wing. "I can't stay for dinner anyway," he apologized. "I need to get going."

"What? No! No; no... Nooooo," Yoda insisted, hobbling toward the rest of his supplies. "Stay, you will! More pollywogs, we can find! Mmm-hm-hmmm!" he giggled happily. "Tasty pollywogs! Come, come!"

"I can't," Luke told him firmly. "I have to leave; my friends need me... Come on, give me that," he reproached him wearily, as Yoda played tug-of-war with his luggage crate. _That's my uniform in there; I'm going to need it._

"No!" Yoda pouted grumpily, smacking Luke with his stick. "Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine - " _All right, take it,_ Luke sighed, letting Yoda have his orange Rebel jumpsuit. _Though I don't know why you want it,_ he grumbled. _It's not going to fit you._

"Goodbye, Master Yoda," Luke said respectfully, after he had finished loading his X-wing. "May the Force be with you."

"Luke!" Yoda protested. "You must complete the training!"

_What training? You just said we were hunting for pollywogs,_ Luke sighed. "I can't keep the vision out of my head," he apologized. "They're my friends; I gotta help them." _Anyway, how much more can there be to learn? I can talk to dead people; I've had wacky hallucinations in caves, and while standing on my head... I can do somersaults, swing on vines, and lift rocks with my mind... I'm sure all of those things will come in very handy, for killing Vader,_ he thought sarcastically. _Ahh, I have to get out of here..._

"You must not go," Yoda warned him.

"But Han and Leia will die if I don't!" Luke replied impatiently.

"You don't know that," Ben said, appearing beside Yoda in a blue shimmer. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."

"But I can help them," Luke insisted. "I feel the Force."

"But you cannot control it," Ben pointed out. "This is a dangerous time for you; when you will be tempted by the Dark side of the Force," he warned him. _Gah... This again,_ Luke sighed. _Look, you guys; just because Vader turned to the Dark side, doesn't mean that I will._

"Yes, yes!" Yoda chimed in. "To Obi-Wan, you listen! The cave," he added. "Remember your failure at the cave."

_Failure?_ Luke blinked in confusion. _How can a dream be a failure?_ "But I've learned so much since then," he insisted. _That was three whole hours ago. And I swear that cave is evil; it wasn't my fault._ "Master Yoda, I promise to return, and to finish what I've begun. You have my word."

"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants," Ben warned him. "That is why your friends are made to suffer."

"That's why I have to go," Luke countered. _Ugh... I have to get back to where people are normal, and don't talk to ghosts, or start randomly chasing after frogs and lizards every five minutes._

"Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor, the way I lost Vader," Ben said.

"You won't," Luke promised. _Ben, I know you've had a bad experience with that, but you're being completely paranoid._

"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone," Ben warned him. "I cannot interfere."

_No kidding; that's because you're dead,_ Luke thought regretfully. "I understand," he told Ben, nodding. _Anyway, your idea of facing Vader is to just let him kill you,_ he sighed. _We disagree on that point._ "Artoo," he said, climbing up into the cockpit. "Fire up the converters."

"Luke!" Ben pleaded, raising his hands. "Don't give in to hate. That leads to the Dark side."

_Yes, I know,_ Luke agreed unhappily. _Though I've got to say, I never felt so much hate or anger, before I came to this swamp,_ he confessed. _Seriously: of all the planets in the galaxy, you guys choose THIS one to hide on?_ he thought, baffled. Although it kind of made sense, in a way; Luke wondered if perhaps the darkness of this planet helped Yoda to hide. _But it comes at too high a price,_ he admitted regretfully, suspecting once again that the wise old Jedi Master had gone completely nuts in his exile.

"Strong is Vader," Yoda warned him now. "Mind what you have learned. Save you, it can."

_I'm sure,_ Luke thought glumly. _If Vader comes after me, I'll just stand on my head, and start lifting rocks. And then I'll offer him some pollywog soup._ "I will," Luke assured him. "And I'll return, I promise."

_But for now, I just have to get out of here,_ Luke sighed, taking off from Dagobah. _Before this place drives me totally crazy._

* * *

"Told you, I did," Yoda said, with an unhappy sigh. "Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse."

"That boy is our last hope," Ben lamented.

"No," Yoda reminded him, as Luke blasted away from Dagobah. "There is another."

"Wait... There is?" Ben blinked, surprised.

"Yes," Yoda said. "Leia," he reminded him. "Luke's twin sister, she is."

"Ohhhhh," Ben said, nodding. "You're right; I had forgotten." But then he frowned. "Should we tell Luke?"

_Hmm... Probably._ "Next time," Yoda instructed Ben sagely. Then he blinked, noticing something on the ground nearby. "Ohh! Mushrooms!" he exclaimed, forgetting his troubles for the moment as he gathered them eagerly. "Tasty soup, I shall make! Mmm-hm-hm-hmmm," Yoda giggled, following the trail of delicious mushrooms back toward his home. "Yum! Yum!"

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Vader frowned, noticing a new type of message blinking on his computer monitor. _A private radio transmission from Boba Fett? Damn it,_ he blinked worriedly. _Don't tell me he's actually found them?_ "Yes," Vader replied hesitantly, accepting the transmission.

"Lord Vader," Boba Fett said. "I'm tracking the _Millennium Falcon._ Its hyperdrive appears to be broken, but it's heading for Bespin," he informed him. "The administrator of Cloud City is a friend of Solo's; I'm guessing that's where he's going."

_Well, that's good to know... I suppose,_ Vader sighed, realizing that he was being dragged right back into this mess. "Good work," he told Boba. "I will meet you in Cloud City, to arrange for your payment."

"I won't have clearance to land there," Boba warned him. "Calrissian is no friend of mine."

"I will make the necessary arrangements," Vader assured him. "You shall have your clearance, and your reward," he promised, ending the transmission. _And then you will be sent on your way,_ he thought, already formulating his plans. _I will use Calrissian's friendship with Solo to my advantage._

"Admiral," Vader said, contacting him on the video monitor.

"Yes, Lord Vader?" Piett replied politely.

"We have found the _Millennium Falcon,_" Vader informed him. "Set a course for Bespin, and notify the administrator of Cloud City that we will be arriving shortly." _That will give Calrissian fair warning, in case he needs to hide evidence of his involvement with the Rebellion._ "Inform him that the bounty hunter Boba Fett has our clearance to land there as well," he added.

"Yes, My Lord," Admiral Piett said, giving the order to his crew.

_What a mess,_ Vader sighed wearily, as they made their way toward Bespin. He had spent all day _trying_ to let the Rebels escape, but he still wasn't completely rid of them. _But at least I'm making a good impression on my crew,_ Vader realized; between his probe droids, his game of Crazy Goffbird, and his latest ploy to send his entire fleet to the other side of the galaxy, he had actually done quite an effective job of _pursuing_ the Rebels.

_But it's nearly over,_ Vader assured himself. _I'll take a small shuttle crew to Cloud City,_ he decided. _I'll pay off Boba Fett, and demand that Calrissian deliver the Falcon's passengers to me... But of course he will find a way to help them escape, and I'll be done with all of this._

Vader turned to his computer database now, typing in 'Calrissian - Bespin'. _Lando Calrissian,_ Vader noted, looking over the various business files for his Tibanna gas mining colony. Calrissian's operation qualified as a small business, and was therefore not under the jurisdiction of them Empire; Vader sighed, scanning through the database and trying to find _something_ he could use as leverage against him.

_Ah; here we go,_ Vader thought. _He's operating a carbon freezing chamber without a permit._ Carbon freezing technology was strictly regulated by the Empire, and even small businesses were required to register for an operator's permit. _And what's the fine for that?_ Vader wondered, looking it up; then he frowned in disappointment. _Twenty-five credits...? Gah,_ he sighed wearily. _Well, it will have to do._

A few minutes later his shuttle touched down in Cloud City, along with Boba Fett's ship. Vader strode down the ramp along with his small crew of Stormtroopers to meet with the welcoming committee, which awaited their arrival at the landing platform.

"Lord Vader," a man in a blue cape greeted him, bowing respectfully. "I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility," he said. "Welcome to Cloud City; this is an unexpected honor."

_Yes, I'm sure it is,_ Vader thought, as Boba Fett joined them. "The pleasure is mine," he replied. _He's nervous, and anxious, but not completely panicked,_ Vader noted, taking that as a good sign. Calrissian seemed to be a capable man, in charge of an entire city; he would surely be able to help Solo and the others to escape. _Don't worry; we'll be out of your way in a few minutes._

"Can I offer you and your men some refreshments?" Calrissian asked politely, inviting them to stay.

"Thank you," Vader said, following him to the entrance. "That would be most kind." Calrissian led them through the hallways to a large, open lounge area with a central bar; music was playing, and video screens were mounted along the walls, broadcasting various sports events.

"Drinks are on the house," Calrissian told the bartender, as Vader nodded in acceptance, gesturing for his men to stand down. _So that's how you want to play it,_ Vader thought in amusement, as his Stormtroopers took off their helmets, eagerly partaking in the free refreshments and entertainment. _Get my men drunk, so they can't shoot straight. All right; fine with me,_ he agreed.

"Can we speak privately?" Vader asked Calrissian now.

"Of course, Lord Vader," Calrissian said, showing him to a nearby doorway. Boba Fett followed them silently, uninvited; Vader allowed the bounty hunter to join them, resolving to keep a watchful eye on him. _I'd rather have him with me, than wonder what he's up to._ "Can I offer you a drink? Or some refreshments?" Calrissian asked them, as they entered the adjacent formal dining room.

"No, thank you," Vader replied automatically. In truth, he was rather hungry, and admitted that he could use a drink, after all that had happened so far today. But one of the drawbacks of his armored suit was that he was forced to remove his helmet in order to eat, and so he had grown accustomed to taking his meals alone. _But we'll soon be out of here,_ he told himself, getting down to business.

"Calrissian," Vader said, trying to sound as threatening as possible. "It has come to my attention that you are operating a carbon freezing chamber without a permit."

"Permit?" Calrissian blinked in surprise. "Lord Vader," he stammered, caught off guard. "If there's a fine, I can pay you - "

"It is too late for that," Vader told him. "But I am willing to make a deal with you," he continued. "And if you agree to my terms, I will personally see to it that the twenty-five credit fine is waived, and you receive your permit; and the Empire will not trouble you again."

Calrissian's brows furrowed uncertainly. "All right," he agreed.

"Good," Vader said. "A Rebel ship called the _Millennium Falcon_ will be arriving here shortly," he told Calrissian. "You will deliver the passengers to me."

"The _Falcon?_" Calrissian repeated, blinking anxiously. "Lord Vader... Look, I don't know what you've heard, but I promise you, Solo is no friend of mine," he assured him. "We haven't spoken in years," Calrissian insisted. "Whatever he's involved in - I have nothing to do with it. I - " he broke off suddenly, as his transmitter beeped.

_He's telling the truth,_ Vader realized worriedly, listening as Calrissian was notified of the _Millennium Falcon's_ arrival. _They've had a falling out?_ he wondered, suddenly concerned. _Damn it..._

"They're here," Calrissian informed him, clipping his transmitter back onto his belt. "So... You want me to bring them here?" he asked Vader, glancing around the room uncertainly. "To the dining room?"

"Yes, this will be fine," Vader told him. _Crap, he's actually going to do it...?_ "Wait," he called after Calrissian. "My men have only just arrived," Vader pointed out, stalling for time. "Let them finish their drinks, and enjoy your kind hospitality for a moment, before getting back to work," he requested. "And I wish to watch the Malastare pod race," Vader told him. "Keep Solo and the others detained until it's over." _That should give you and Solo time to work out your little spat,_ he hoped. _And it won't hurt that my men will have had a few drinks by then._

"As you wish, Lord Vader," Calrissian agreed, nodding.

"And Calrissian," Vader added, pointing a threatening finger at him. "If you fail me, I will be forced to double the fine for your carbon freezing operator's permit," he warned him. "That's fifty credits," he pointed out, making it clear that Calrissian would receive only a small fine for allowing the _Falcon's_ crew to escape. _Just let them go; I won't give you any trouble._

Calrissian frowned in confusion. "Yes, sir," he said uncertainly. "All right; I'll bring them to you after the pod race is finished."

_No, you won't,_ Vader hoped, frowning worriedly as Calrissian took his leave. _You'll make friends with Solo again, and help him to escape._ Boba Fett began to follow Calrissian, but Vader reached a hand out now, stopping him with a subtle Force-choke. "Bounty hunter: stay with me," he commanded. _I don't want you messing things up any worse than they already are._

_All right, Calrissian,_ Vader thought anxiously, as he and Boba went back into the lounge to join the Stormtroopers. _Please come back in half an hour and tell me that the Falcon's crew has escaped,_ he prayed. _I'll fine you fifty credits, and we'll be out of here._


	14. Lando is a moron

**Chapter 14**

_I don't like this,_ Leia confessed, pacing around the guest chamber in Cloud City. _There's something wrong here; I can feel it._

She had just sent a secure transmission to General Rieekan at the rendezvous point, assuring him that they were safe, and would rejoin the others as soon as the _Falcon_ was repaired. But quietly she couldn't help feeling anxious about this whole situation.

Han's friend Lando _seemed_ to be a decent person; he was assisting Han with the _Falcon's_ hyperdrive, and had even arranged for Leia's clothes to be washed, insisting that she help herself to anything she wanted from Cloud City's shopping center. Leia had picked out a new dress, and some cute white boots to replace the standard-issue grey ones they had all been wearing on Hoth; still, Lando's generosity had done nothing to alleviate her concerns.

"The ship's almost finished," Han announced, entering the room. "Two or three more things and we're in great shape."

"The sooner the better," Leia told him. "Something's wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio," she said. "He's been gone too long to have gotten lost - " She broke off as Han placed his hands gently on her shoulders, kissing her on the forehead.

"Relax," Han reassured her, admiring her new loopy braids. "I'll talk to Lando, and see what I can find out."

"I don't trust Lando," Leia told him, sitting down on the couch.

"Well I don't trust him either," Han agreed, taking a seat beside her. "But he is my friend," he insisted. "Besides... We'll soon be gone," he reminded her, with a regretful look in his eyes.

"Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" Leia asked quietly. _He promised me one civilized conversation, before he left,_ she remembered. _I guess this is as good a time as any._ "Please stay, Han," she said. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave either," Han agreed, sighing. "But the bounty hunters won't stop looking for me," he reminded her. "I'm endangering everyone by staying; I have to take care of this," he admitted, giving her an apologetic look.

"We'll find a way to pay off Jabba," Leia promised him. "Even if you have to sell the _Falcon_ - "

"Hey," Han protested, furrowing his brows. "Let's not get crazy here."

Leia smiled, shaking her head. "I don't want you to be fed to Jabba's pet Rancor," she admitted, concerned.

"Well that makes two of us," Han agreed, grinning. "But it's not gonna happen," he assured her. "I'm Jabba's best smuggler," Han insisted cockily. "He's not gonna kill me; he needs me."

"Han, _we_ need you," Leia told him sincerely. "_I_ need you," she admitted, giving him a tender smile. _There; I said it._ "Even if you are a scoundrel," she reproached him affectionately.

"Scoundrel?" Han grinned in surprise; then he kissed her on the lips, pushing her playfully down onto the couch.

Leia laughed, amused by the effect that word seemed to have on him. "Han, I'm serious," she protested, giggling as he continued to smother her in kisses. "Come on; you promised me one civilized conversation," she reproached him sternly.

Han blinked. "Civilized conversation? _Now?_" he asked, baffled. "When you've just called me a scoundrel?"

"You're right," Leia agreed, laughing. "I'm sorry," she apologized. _I shouldn't have called you that._ "Han, I just spoke with General Rieekan - "

"Gahhhh," Han sighed dejectedly, letting go of her as they resumed their civilized conversation.

"He's been in touch with Mon Mothma," Leia told him. "They've scouted locations for two new bases so far; and it looks like one of them will be on Selvaris," she said. "Han, that's on the opposite side of the galaxy from Tatooine," Leia pointed out. "I asked for us to be assigned there."

Han had been nodding quietly; but now he raised his brows. "Us?" he asked, giving her a hopeful look.

Leia smiled warmly. "Yes," she told him, gazing into his soulful brown eyes. "Han, I - "

"Rrrraaaauuurrgghhh!" Chewie moaned, bursting into the room with a box full of golden droid parts.

_Oh no..._ "What happened?" Leia asked, getting up from the couch.

Chewie roared unhappily, as Han translated for him. "Where?" he asked. "Found him in a junk pile?"

"Oh, what a mess," Leia said. _But at least we know where he is._ "Chewie, you think you can repair him?"

"Lando's got people that can fix him," Han suggested.

"No thanks," Leia told him indignantly. _Ah, Johnny can fix him, when we get back._ But now she turned around, hearing someone approaching. _Great,_ Leia sighed in annoyance, as Lando entered the room.

"I'm sorry," Lando apologized. "Am I interrupting anything?"

_Damn it; why does he have to be so polite?_ "Not really," Leia confessed; it troubled her that she mistrusted Lando, for no good reason.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he said, admiring the new dress she had picked out. "You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

"Thank you," Leia replied cautiously. _He just complimented me; why do I detest him so?_

"Would you join me for a little refreshment?" Lando asked her, offering his hand. _Um..._ "Everyone's invited, of course," he added, as Chewie roared cheerfully, getting up. _All right, I guess,_ Leia thought, taking Lando's hand; but immediately Han was at her side, offering his arm as well, and she accepted it with a mixture of amusement and gratitude. "Having trouble with your droid?" Lando asked, concerned.

"No," Han told him. "No problem... Why?" he asked, leading Leia toward the door.

Leia smiled quietly, holding Han's arm as they walked through the hallway. She felt safe with him, and realized that he was the opposite of Lando. _Lando has perfect manners, but he's devious, somehow,_ she sensed. _Whereas Han is honest, but has no idea how to act._

"You see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire," Lando was telling them now.

"So you're part of the Mining Guild, then?" Leia asked, as they continued through the hallway.

"No, not actually," Lando replied. "Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advantageous for everybody, since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."

"Aren't you afraid the Empire's gonna find out about this little operation, and shut you down?" Han asked.

"It's always been a danger that looms like a shadow over everything we've built here," Lando admitted. "But things have developed that'll ensure security," he told them. "I've just made a deal that'll keep the Empire out of here forever."

_A deal?_ Leia frowned as they approached a closed door. _Well that sounds kind of suspicious._

* * *

_Should I? Shouldn't I?_ Vader debated wistfully, eyeing the delicious refreshments laid out on the formal banquet table. He was tired, and hungry, and bored, and now a little depressed, after watching the Malastare pod race; he'd retreated to the private dining room to have some time alone. _No,_ he decided, with a rueful sigh. _Calrissian will return soon; I don't want to be caught with my helmet off, twice in one day,_ he admitted glumly.

Suddenly the door opened, and Vader found himself face-to-face with Leia, Solo, Calrissian, and the Wookiee. _Crap!_ he blinked in alarm, standing up. _Damn it, Calrissian... You actually brought them to me?_

The Wookiee roared angrily, and Solo began shooting at him; Vader automatically reached out a gloved hand to deflect the laser fire, then pulled Solo's gun to himself. _Quit shooting at me,_ he sighed unhappily. _It looks like I'm the best friend you've got here._

"We would be honored if you would join us," Vader said, as Boba Fett entered from the lounge. His Stormtroopers were quickly gathering behind the Rebels, out in the hallway, and Vader sighed wearily. _This is a nightmare._

"I had no choice," Calrissian was apologizing now, to Solo. "They arrived right before you did." _You DID have a choice,_ Vader scowled. _You chose to sell your friend out for fifty credits._ "I'm sorry," Calrissian said.

Solo gave him a reproachful look. "I'm sorry too."

_I'm sorry... three,_ Vader agreed unhappily. _Crap, how am I going to get out of this one?_ "Come with me," he instructed everyone, heading decisively down the hallway. _Gah, I have no idea what I'm doing..._ "What is in here?" Vader demanded, pointing to a closed doorway ahead.

"That's the medical ward," Calrissian told him.

"Hold Captain Solo in there," Vader commanded his men. "You two, guard the door."

"But - Lord Vader," Calrissian protested. "This wasn't part of the deal - "

"I cannot issue your carbon freezing operator's permit until I have inspected the facility," Vader told him brusquely. "Do you have a detention cell?"

"Yes," Calrissian admitted reluctantly. "But - "

"You two," Vader said, pointing to his nearest Stormtroopers. "Take the Wookiee to the detention cell," he ordered them. "And you two," he continued. "Hold the Princess in her guest chamber. I shall deal with the prisoners later," Vader told them. "The rest of you, come with me." _That means you, Boba,_ he scowled, grabbing the bounty hunter by the arm and forcibly dragging him along. _I don't want you out of my sight._

_All right; so the prisoners are split up, with only two guards per room,_ Vader thought, as Calrissian led the rest of his men toward the carbon freezing chamber. _If I can just convince Calrissian to help them escape, it should be easy for his men to free them._ He could sense Calrissian's conflicted emotions already. _He is beginning to regret his decision,_ Vader noted. _That is a good sign._

But now Boba Fett spoke up. "What are you planning to do with Solo?" he wanted to know. "He's worth a lot to me."

"He's worth nothing to me," Vader told him indifferently. "The Rebel I was hoping for was not aboard the _Millennium Falcon,_" he said, making up a new excuse to stall for time. "Solo and the others will be tortured until they tell me where Skywalker is."

"Tortured?" Calrissian protested, blinking. "You said they'd just be detained, while you inspected the carbon freezing facility."

"I said no such thing," Vader reminded him. _'I shall deal with the prisoners later'; those were my exact words._

"Can I have Solo when you're through with him?" the bounty hunter asked.

"Yes," Vader replied. "But only after I have Skywalker," he added, pointing a stern finger at him.

"But - that could take hours, or days," Calrissian pointed out worriedly.

_Exactly,_ Vader agreed. _Which gives you all the time in the world to figure out how you're going to help your friends escape._ "I am in no rush to abandon your kind hospitality," he told Calrissian. "And neither are my men."

_It's the bounty hunter that I'm worried about,_ Vader confessed, as Calrissian showed them to the carbon freezing chamber. _When Calrissian finally makes his move to free the Rebels, Boba's going to try to take off with Solo._ And Vader was beginning to doubt the ability of Calrissian's security team.

_If things go wrong, and Boba gets away from me, I need to make sure that Calrissian's men will be able to rescue Solo from him,_ Vader realized, thinking quickly. By law, Vader was prohibited from interfering with the bounty hunter's business; Boba Fett belonged to the same labor union as his own Stormtroopers, and if Vader made a move against him, he would anger the entire Imperial Army.

_But I can give Calrissian the advantage, if it comes to a fight,_ Vader thought, an idea coming to him as he inspected the carbon freezing chamber. If Boba decided to take Solo hostage, Calrissian's security team would be powerless to stop him, for fear of accidentally shooting Solo. _But if he were frozen in carbonite, he would be safe from laser fire,_ Vader realized. _They could even shoot down Boba's ship, if need be, and retrieve Solo safely._

Freezing people in carbonite was illegal of course; it was considered a human rights violation, and caused painful and disabling hibernation sickness, once the subject was released. _Unless..._ Vader frowned thoughtfully. He had read accounts in which victims were subjected to torture _before_ being frozen in carbonite; it seemed that hibernation sickness could be avoided if the person was already in shock, at the time of freezing.

_Well this might solve several problems at once,_ Vader realized. As a Sith Lord, Vader had a special license to use any torture methods he wanted, without legal repercussions. By torturing and then freezing Solo in carbonite, he might finally persuade Calrissian to help his poor friend, while at the same time keeping Solo completely safe from harm, should they need to open fire against Boba Fett. And then, if Solo was released from the carbonite quickly enough, he might avoid hibernation sickness altogether, and be fit to help the Rebels to escape. And as an added bonus, all of this would help to bolster Vader's own professional image, as the heartless and fearsome Sith Lord he claimed to be.

_I don't have any better ideas,_ Vader admitted. _Sorry, Solo; this is going to hurt a bit._ "The facility appears to be in order," he told Calrissian, leaving the carbon freezing chamber and heading back to the medical ward. "I will issue your operator's permit in a moment," he promised Lando. "But first I have some business to attend to," Vader said, as they arrived at Solo's makeshift prison cell. "Wait here," he ordered Calrissian, pointing a stern finger at him. _I want you to hear him scream._

"Bind Captain Solo to the gurney," Vader commanded his Stormtroopers, as he searched the medical ward for a suitable torturing device. Normally he chose torture methods that _looked_ a lot more sinister than they actually were; but in this case he actually needed to put Solo in a state of shock, before he could freeze him. _There,_ Vader decided, finding a surgical laser instrument. _With a few special modifications, this will do._

A minute later his creative torture device was prepared, and Vader watched intently as Solo was subjected to the fiery-hot electric shocks. _I'm sorry,_ he sighed, carefully monitoring Solo's condition, as his victim screamed in agony. But it didn't take long before Solo entered a state of shock, and Vader left the room abruptly, realizing he needed to act quickly, before the shock wore off.

"Lord Vader," Lando said, chasing after him.

Vader ignored him, turning to Fett. "You may take Captain Solo to Jabba the Hutt after I have Skywalker," he said, stalling for time.

"He's no good to me dead," Fett pointed out.

"He will not be permanently damaged," Vader assured him, continuing down the hallway.

"Lord Vader!" Calrissian called after him again; Vader could feel his outrage and anxiety. "What about Leia and the Wookiee?" he wanted to know. _Good; so you finally care about their well-being._

"They must never again leave this city," Vader said, as he reached the elevator. _That's right; I'm just GIVING them to you,_ he thought. _Are you happy now?_

"That was never a condition of our agreement!" Calrissian protested vehemently. "That was giving Han to this bounty hunter!"

_I can't believe this guy,_ Vader confessed, blinking in disbelief. "Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly?"

Calrissian frowned, thinking it over. "No," he agreed cautiously.

"Good," Vader said. "It would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here," he threatened him, closing the door to the elevator. _This is ridiculous,_ Vader sighed. _How much more will it take to convince him to just HELP them already?_

_Maybe this approach isn't going to work after all,_ Vader thought worriedly, heading up to Leia's guest chamber. He was beginning to suspect that Calrissian was dumber than a Womp rat, and less trustworthy as well. _Okay; I'll gather the Rebels all together in the detention cell, and send Calrissian in to talk to them,_ he decided. _Maybe Solo and the Wookiee can beat some sense into him._

_And a good tongue-lashing from Leia wouldn't hurt either,_ Vader thought with a rueful grin, as he approached the Princess' guest chamber. _I have a feeling I'm about to get one myself._

* * *

Luke sighed as he emerged from hyperspace, just outside Sullust. _Hopefully no one's been worried about me,_ he thought regretfully, contacting General Rieekan over the transmitter. _And I hope everyone made it to the rendezvous point all right._

"Commander Skywalker," General Rieekan answered, grateful to hear back from him; Luke had called him before going to Dagobah, claiming to be stuck on Sullust for repairs. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Luke told him. "Sorry it took so long," he apologized. "There was something wrong with the hyperdrive," he lied vaguely. "But it's all fixed now; I'm on my way back."

"Glad to hear it," General Rieekan said. "And you're not the only one with hyperdrive problems," he added. "Captain Solo and Princess Leia are on Bespin now, getting the _Falcon_ repaired."

"Bespin?" Luke asked worriedly; he was still concerned for their safety, after the disturbing vision he'd had.

"Yes; Captain Solo has a friend there, in Cloud City," Rieekan told him. "But they'll be along shortly."

_Cloud City?_ Luke blinked anxiously; his vision had been of a city in the clouds. _Crap, I'd better check this out._ "Bespin... I'm not too far from there," he told Rieekan, looking it up on his charts. "I'll stop by, and see if they need any help."

"All right," General Rieekan agreed. "We'll see you when you get back."

_I hope they're okay,_ Luke thought, setting his coordinates for Bespin. Then he paused, noting that Cloud City was listed as a restricted spaceport; landing was permitted only through advanced notice with the city's administrator. _I'd better call ahead,_ Luke decided, dialing the number.

"Cloud City, Air Traffic Control," a woman's voice answered.

"Hi, I'd like to request permission to land," Luke said. "I'll be arriving in about half an hour."

"Your name and type of ship?" the air traffic controller asked.

"Skywalker; X-wing class," Luke told her.

"And your reason for visiting?"

"I'm a friend of Han Solo," Luke said. "He's there now, repairing his ship."

"One moment please... Ah, yes; Captain Solo is still here," she confirmed. "All right, we'll notify the administrator immediately."

"Thank you," Luke said, ending the transmission. _Well they seem friendly,_ he thought optimistically. Now that he was away from Dagobah, he was beginning to realize that his crazy dreams and visions hadn't been real. _I hallucinated that I killed Vader... And he was ME,_ Luke recalled, sighing. _When in fact, he wasn't even there at all,_ he admitted now. _I shouldn't take this stuff seriously._

_I'm sure Han and Leia are fine,_ Luke told himself, setting his course for Cloud City and jumping to lightspeed.

* * *

Johnny's brows furrowed in concern as he set up the new command center at their base on Selvaris. _I hope everyone is all right._ He'd spent the past two days with Mon Mothma, Jan Dodonna, and Vanden Willard, scouting for new locations; they had been alarmed to learn of the attack on Hoth, but General Rieekan had called earlier to say that the fleet had safely regrouped at the rendezvous point.

_Most of them, anyway,_ Johnny sighed. Luke was apparently on Sullust for repairs, and Leia had missed her assigned transport, and had gone with Han on the _Falcon_. They still hadn't arrived at the rendezvous point as of a few hours ago, and Johnny couldn't help feeling concerned. He didn't doubt Han's piloting or tactical skills; only his ability to keep the _Falcon_ running. _That ship is a mess,_ Johnny admitted. _When we meet up again, I'm going to really work on it, and figure out what's wrong._

_IF we meet up again..._ Johnny blinked worriedly as he continued to set up the computer terminals. Mon Mothma's new plan was to split the Rebels up into three groups: one base here on Selvaris, and another on Rothana, with the fleet remaining mobile. Johnny hoped to be assigned to the same base as Leia, and Luke, and Han; but he feared that they would be split up again, as they had been for this latest move.

_I miss them,_ Johnny admitted, with a rueful smile. Mothma, Dodonna, and Willard were all nice enough, and he had enjoyed working with them these past two days; but they were twice his age, and he couldn't help missing Leia, and Luke, and Han. _I know it's stupid,_ Johnny told himself. _But somehow... they feel like family,_ he admitted. _Especially Leia, and Luke..._

"Captain Doe." Johnny looked up to see Vanden Willard entering the command center. "General Rieekan just called; everyone is safe and accounted for," Willard told him. _Thank goodness,_ Johnny nodded, grateful for the news. "Captain Solo and the Princess had to stop on Bespin for repairs, but Commander Skywalker is on his way there to help them, just in case."

"Well that's good news," Johnny said, with a relieved smile.

"Yes, it is," General Willard agreed. "Oh - and Captain Doe," he said, raising his brows thoughtfully. "Mon Mothma has announced her assignments for the new bases; you'll be staying here on Selvaris with me," he told him.

"Oh... Great," Johnny said, nodding politely. He had always liked General Willard; he was from Alderaan, and a close friend of Leia's as well.

"I've chosen Princess Leia as my second-in-command," Willard added. "And she has requested that Captain Solo and Commander Skywalker be assigned to the Selvaris base as well," he told Johnny. "I thought you might like to know," he added, with a friendly wink.

Johnny smiled gratefully. "Thank you, General," he said, with an appreciative nod. _Well this is going to be fun._

* * *

Leia paced worriedly around the guest chamber, troubled by what her feelings were telling her. _Vader is torturing them,_ she knew; she didn't know _how_ she knew it, but she could feel their agony, and distress.

_I didn't think he'd actually hurt them,_ Leia confessed, her heart aching for Han, and Chewbacca. Vader had captured Leia twice before, but nothing had ever come of it; his interrogation and 'torture' methods had been rather pathetic, and Leia had the feeling he'd actually let her escape. _But he's really hurting them,_ she admitted now, sensing their pain. _Luke is right; he's a heartless, sadistic, murdering bastard._

But her concern turned quickly to anger, as Vader entered her guest chamber. "What are you doing to them?" Leia demanded, storming right up to the Sith Lord. "They work for _me,_" she reminded him. "Whatever it is you want, leave them out of it."

Vader just stood there for a moment, staring at her; Leia glared back at him defiantly. _I'm not afraid of you,_ she realized once again, confused by her own reaction. _I feel sorry for you,_ she confessed; she couldn't explain it, but she could _feel_ his shame, and regret. _You're a monster,_ Leia admitted, not for a moment forgetting the heinous acts of cruelty Vader had committed over his long career. _But you're a SAD monster,_ she felt instinctively.

"Guards," Vader said at length, after their stare-down. "Take the Princess to the detention cell."

Leia struggled indignantly as two Stormtroopers took hold of her, escorting her to the door. But as she looked back over her shoulder, she was surprised to see Vader standing by the window, staring off into the distance; she couldn't help feeling that he was sad.

_I don't understand him,_ Leia confessed, as the Stormtroopers escorted her through the hallway toward the detention cell. She had felt his sadness before; it had been even stronger, the day that Alderaan had been destroyed. Leia couldn't explain it; but Vader had put his hands on her shoulders as they watched that horrific event, and it had felt strangely comforting to her. In an odd way, it reminded her of how she felt when Johnny protected her, in frightening situations.

_But Vader isn't my bodyguard; he's a Sith Lord,_ Leia reminded herself, pushing aside her confusing thoughts as she was shoved roughly into the detention cell. _Ohh,_ Leia sighed unhappily, her heart aching as she saw Han lying weakly on the durasteel slab. _What did they do to you?_ she wondered sadly, as Chewbacca let out a pathetic moan.

"Why are they doing this?" Leia asked, gently stroking Han's hair as she knelt beside him.

Han gulped painfully. "They never even asked me any questions."

_Meanwhile I was given every comfort, in my own guest chamber,_ Leia admitted guiltily; while the others had been tortured, she'd had her clothes delivered to her, all washed and neatly folded, and had changed back into her white jumpsuit, along with the new white boots she'd picked out earlier.

She kissed Han on the forehead now; but suddenly Chewie roared angrily, and Leia looked up in concern. "Lando," she warned Han, as his traitorous friend entered the detention cell.

"Get out of here, Lando," Han growled, as Chewbacca let out a furious roar.

"Shut up and listen," Lando told them. "Vader's agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me," he said quickly. "They'll have to stay here, but at least they'll be safe," he insisted; for the first time ever, Leia got the sense that he was telling the truth.

_But..._ "What about Han?" Leia asked.

"Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter," Lando said.

"Vader wants us all dead," Leia reminded him, hoping that Lando would finally help them.

"He doesn't want you at all," Lando said. "He's after somebody called - Skywalker."

"Luke?" Han asked worriedly.

"Lord Vader's set a trap for him," Lando told them.

"And we're the bait?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, well he's on his way," Lando said.

"You fixed us all real good, didn't you?" Han reproached him, getting up. "My friend," he growled, punching him in the face; but he immediately collapsed to the floor, and Leia rushed to his side, trying to protect him from Lando's security team.

"Stop!" Lando commanded his men. "I've done all I can," he told Han. "I'm sorry I couldn't do better, but I've got my own problems."

"Yeah," Han agreed sarcastically. "You're a real hero."

Leia gave him a wistful smile; she could remember a time when she and Luke had thought the same about Han. "You certainly have a way with people," she chided him affectionately, as she and Chewie helped him to his feet.

"Ahh... Ahh..." Han gasped, as they helped him back over to the durasteel slab. "Ahhh," he sighed, smiling wearily as Leia kissed him on the forehead.

"Are you all right?" Leia asked gently, concerned for him.

"Yeah," Han assured her weakly.

Leia sighed, sitting down beside him. _How are we going to get out of this?_ she wondered, trying to think of a way to escape. _If Luke is coming, hopefully he can help us; but I'm worried what Vader will do to him..._

"Hey," Han said, giving her a reproachful look. "It still hurts," he insisted, dismayed by her lack of attention.

Leia smiled in amusement. "I'm sure it does," she agreed, stroking his hair tenderly. "You scoundrel."

"Scoundrel," Han murmured, closing his eyes and smiling as they kissed once again. "Mmmm... I like that."

* * *

"Lord Vader."

_What is it now?_ Vader sighed, turning to face Calrissian.

"Air traffic control has just received word that Skywalker is on his way here," Calrissian informed him. "He should be arriving in about ten minutes."

_What?_ Vader blinked, caught off guard. _You're kidding me, right?_ He had only been bluffing about wanting to find Luke. _He's actually coming here? Damn it..._ "Good work," Vader said, hiding his alarm.

_Well this changes everything,_ Vader realized, thinking quickly. He'd promised to give Solo to Boba Fett once he had Skywalker; but he'd only been stalling for time, hoping that Calrissian would finally make his move and aid the Rebels. _But if Luke comes here, I'll have to honor my agreement, and give Solo to the bounty hunter._

_I need to go ahead with the carbon freezing plan,_ Vader decided regretfully. _That way the others will be able to shoot at Boba Fett, without fear of hurting Solo. And Luke will finally help them all to escape,_ he realized, grateful that his son was coming to take care of this mess.

"I need to inspect your carbon freezing chamber once more," Vader informed Calrissian, leading the way back through the hallway. _This is my last chance to get Calrissian to change his mind._ "This facility is crude," Vader said, inspecting the chamber again. "But it should be adequate to freeze Skywalker for his journey to the Emperor." Then he furrowed his brows, sensing something. _Luke..._

"Lord Vader," his officer announced, joining them. "Ship approaching; X-wing class."

_Yes, I know. _"Good," Vader replied. "Monitor Skywalker, and allow him to land."

"Lord Vader, we only use this facility for carbon freezing," Calrissian protested. "You put him in there, it might kill him." _No it won't; b__ut if the idea offends you so much, I suggest you stop complaining and DO something about it._

"I do not want the Emperor's prize damaged," Vader assured him. "We will test it on Captain Solo."

A minute later the Rebels were brought out to the carbon freezing chamber, and Solo gave Calrissian a reproachful look. "What's going on... Buddy?" he asked quietly.

"You're being put into carbon freeze," Calrissian told him; Vader could sense his anxiety. _He's finally getting ready to act._

"What if he doesn't survive?" Boba Fett asked. "He's worth a lot to me."

"The Empire will compensate you if he dies," Vader assured him. _He won't die; it's perfectly safe._ "Put him in."

"Rrrraauuugghhhh!" Chewbacca roared, suddenly rebelling against the situation, and throwing two Stormtroopers off the platform. Boba Fett lifted his blaster, but Vader reached out an arm, pushing it back down again. _Don't do that,_ he frowned indignantly; then he grinned for a moment, enjoying the show. _The Wookiee is the only one with any sense among them._

But apparently this wasn't their moment to act; Solo was now trying to calm his friend. "Hey!" he yelled. "Hey! Listen to me, Chewie! This won't help me. Save your strength," he told him. "There'll be another time," he promised. _So, they're waiting for Luke to arrive, before making their move,_ Vader realized, adjusting his own plan. _All right; I can deal with that._

"The Princess," Han continued. "You have to take care of her. Do you hear me? Huh?"

"Rrrauughhh," Chewbacca moaned unhappily.

_All right, guys; that's enough with the drama,_ Vader thought, amused. _Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit. And Solo will be released in a few minutes anyway; without any hibernation sickness, thanks to me,_ he thought, pleased with the way things were turning out. But then he gasped in shock as Solo and Leia suddenly kissed. _What?_ Vader blinked, stunned. _Oh my... I did not see that coming..._

"I love you," Leia said. _You do?_

"I know," Solo replied.

_Oh dear,_ Vader laughed, amused by his response. _Though I'm in no position to judge,_ he commiserated, remembering what it was like to be tongue-tied in the presence of a beautiful girl. _At least you didn't try to compare her to sand._

Solo was being lowered into the carbon freezing chamber, and Vader could feel Leia's profound anxiety and grief. _I'm sorry, Leia,_ he sighed, realizing that he had tormented his daughter far more severely than he had meant to. _Don't worry... He'll be all right; I promise._

"Well, Calrissian," Vader asked, as Solo's carbonite slab was brought back up. "Did he survive?"

"Yes, he's alive," Calrissian reported, checking his vitals. "And in perfect hibernation." _Excellent._

"He's all yours, bounty hunter," Vader said now. "Reset the chamber for Skywalker." _He's just landed..._

"Skywalker has just landed, Lord," his officer reported. _Yes, thank you; I know that._

"Good," Vader replied. "See to it that he finds his way in here." _And now I have to finish spoon-feeding Calrissian his escape plan._ "Calrissian, take the Princess and the Wookiee to my ship." _You'll meet Luke on the way there; might I suggest you choose that moment to DO SOMETHING?_

But still Calrissian protested. "You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision!"

_Yes, and you objected to that, too, didn't you?_ "I am altering the deal," Vader informed him. "Pray I don't alter it any further." _Trust me; it's better for you this way. Now, when the Rebels escape, you won't be held accountable at all._

_Okay guys; it's time to make your move,_ Vader thought, retreating to the nearby platform as the Rebels were led toward his shuttle. He could sense Luke's presence in the hallways, and carefully masked his own now, hiding in the shadows. _The last thing I want is to run into him,_ he confessed, resolving to stay out of his son's way.

_This will all be over in a minute,_ Vader knew. Calrissian was at the breaking point, and as soon as Luke started fighting to free the Rebels, he would have Cloud City's entire security team backing him up. _There we go,_ Vader grinned, sensing heightened activity and hearing the sound of blaster fire out in the hallways. _Finally,_ he sighed in weary relief. _Come on, Luke; get everyone out of here._

_Wait... What's that?_ Vader could sense the Rebels splitting up; Leia and the others were getting farther away, but now Luke was coming closer. _No, Luke. Please, just go,_ he thought anxiously. _Damn it..._ Vader quickly switched off the ventilator on his suit, continuing to mask his presence while keeping as still and quiet as possible.

But suddenly the floor opened up, and Luke was standing there in the dark, only a few feet away from him. _Gah... Hi, Luke,_ Vader thought unhappily; this day had been stressful enough already, and he had hoped to avoid a confrontation with his son.

Luke was looking around the darkened chamber, holding his blaster at the ready; Vader sighed, dismayed that his son still hadn't learned to use a lightsaber. _There's no one left to teach him,_ he realized; Obi-Wan was dead, and Yoda's unique lightsaber technique was not well suited for humans. _Not that Luke would ever FIND Yoda,_ Vader admitted. _And even if he did... Sidious says he's gone completely crazy._

_Someone needs to teach him,_ Vader thought. _Luke should have been a fully-trained Jedi Knight by now,_ he lamented once again. _I thought Obi-Wan was training him, all those years on Tatooine. And why in the blazes didn't he?_ he wondered, betrayed. _I don't understand it._

Vader sighed now, realizing what he must do. _Well, Luke,_ he thought ruefully, preparing himself for what was about to happen. _If you want to learn lightsaber fighting, it looks like you'll have to learn it from me._

Gathering his courage, he switched his ventilator back on, and turned on the lights.

_All right, son. Let's see what you can do._


	15. Vader is Luke's father?

**Chapter 15**

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," Vader said. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

_He's got courage, though,_ Vader admitted proudly, as Luke approached him now, a look of fierce determination in his eyes. He could sense his son's fear, and it saddened him; but he was controlling it well. _Don't worry, Luke. I'm not going to hurt you._

Luke ignited his blue lightsaber, holding it up bravely; but Vader sighed in dismay, noting that his stance was completely wrong. _Did Obi-Wan teach you nothing at all?_ he wondered again, frustrated by his Master's negligence. _Luke... Do you even know who I am?_

Vader ignited his own red lightsaber, bringing it up to meet Luke's. _All right; we'll start from the beginning,_ he resolved. _Your move, son - whoa!_ Vader blinked in alarm, quickly countering Luke's opening strike. _That was actually pretty good,_ he confessed, suddenly concerned for his own safety. _He has no idea what he's doing; but he's young, and strong, and I'm... not,_ Vader confessed ruefully.

Luke struck at him again with all of his might; their lightsabers locked together for a moment, but then Vader tossed him effortlessly to the ground. _All right,_ he sighed in relief. _It's been a while, but I can still do this._ He backed away, waiting for Luke's next move; then he countered the next several attacks, impressed by Luke's quickness. _This is actually good practice,_ Vader confessed. He couldn't predict Luke's moves, since the boy himself had no particular strategy in mind; he fought with his own unique style, and followed none of the traditional rules.

But now Luke struggled momentarily, losing his grip; Vader adjusted quickly, aiming high and striking against a support beam as Luke ducked his head. _Yeah, I pressed him a little too hard,_ he realized, backing off and allowing Luke to regain control. "You have learned much, young one," Vader offered encouragingly, as they continued to fight. _You're actually doing amazingly well, for being self-taught._

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Luke replied cheekily.

_Wow - yes, you are,_ Vader agreed, as Luke lunged at him suddenly, striking out with the weirdest attack he'd ever seen. _That was definitely... surprising,_ he admitted, not entirely certain how to counter Luke's bizarre moves. _Oops - sorry!_ Vader cringed as Luke's blue lightsaber went flying off across the room. _I didn't mean to do that... Gah,_ he sighed, striking randomly at the floor. _I need to be more careful._

"Whooooaaaaa," Luke cried, tumbling down the stairs and off the platform.

_This is sad,_ Vader thought, seeing his son cowering on the floor. _No, this is beyond sad. This is a complete tragedy._ Luke should have been a fully-trained Jedi Knight by now; he was strong, and quick, and had excellent instincts. _And he could still learn; but he needs someone to teach him,_ Vader realized. _And I'm the only one left,_ he admitted, frowning uncertainly as an idea came to him.

_Sidious actually gave me permission,_ Vader recalled. _I didn't plan to go through with it, but - I could do this,_ he thought, feeling a sudden flicker of hope. _If I took Luke as my Apprentice, I could teach him everything he needs to learn; and then - _ he blinked worriedly. _And then what?_ he wondered, admitting that he didn't really have a plan for re-establishing the Jedi Order.

_But Luke must be trained, if the Order is to survive,_ Vader knew. _And I'm the only one left who can help him... There's no other way,_ he realized, jumping down off the platform to join Luke. _We'll just have to figure this out as we go along._

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker," Vader told him. Then he sighed. _Like he's going to believe me._ "Obi-Wan knew this to be true," he added, trying to gain his son's trust. _Actually, Obi-Wan didn't seem to know much of anything at all, the last time I saw him,_ Vader thought morosely. _Which is why Luke's training is up to me now._

"No," Luke replied stubbornly, refusing his offer.

_Yeah; we could be at this all day._ Vader quickly gave up on that strategy. _Luckily, I happen to have a Plan B,_ he remembered, activating the carbon freezing chamber. _Sorry, Luke; we'll discuss this later,_ he sighed, giving his son a subtle Force-shove into the circular pit.

"Ohhhhhh!" Luke cried helplessly, falling into the pit; he landed badly, and Vader could feel his sharp pain.

"All too easy," Vader admitted unhappily, activating the freezing mechanism. _See, Luke, this is why you need to come with me; so I can train you how to fall ten feet without hurting yourself... Among other things,_ he sighed, turning to retrieve his frozen Apprentice. "Perhaps you're not as strong as the Emperor thought," he added regretfully. _Poor kid... He didn't even put up a fight._

Then Vader blinked in surprise, realizing that Luke was above him now, hiding amidst the tubes and wires that hung from the ceiling. _All right; way to go,_ he thought proudly. _So he DOES have some Force powers..._ "Impressive," he told Luke, slashing at a large, dangling hose with his lightsaber. "Most impressive." _Come on down, son. I've had a long day. Don't make me chase you._

Luke obediently somersaulted down; but then he quickly grabbed the broken hose, spewing its contents straight at Vader's face. "Ahhhh!" Vader exclaimed, staggering back as the gas was sucked into his ventilator. _Is that - Tibanna gas?_ he wondered, blinking apprehensively. _Crap..._ His helmet was fogging up, and he couldn't see anything; but he heard the hum of Luke's lightsaber, and quickly countered his son's attack.

_So, carbon freezing isn't going to work,_ Vader admitted, as they resumed their fight. _Which means I need to find another way to convince Luke to come with me... Aaghh,_ he coughed, squinting through blurred lenses as his helmet slowly defogged. _I don't feel so good,_ Vader confessed. It had been a very long day, and he'd missed lunch; he was exhausted, and hungry, and now seriously concerned about the Tibanna gas he'd just inhaled. _Kids sniff this stuff to get high,_ Vader realized, feeling a bit dizzy. _Yeah, I'd better get on with this._

_All right, then; what's Plan C?_ Vader wondered, trying to focus his thoughts. _Something quick, and easy,_ he decided, admitting that he was in no shape to be fighting right now. _Eh... I'll just turn him to the Dark side, and we'll sort this out later._ Newly-turned Sith Apprentices were highly impressionable, and extremely obedient; Vader knew that if he could just manage to turn Luke to the Dark side, his son would come along willingly, no questions asked. _I could order him to slaughter babies, and he'd do it,_ Vader admitted regretfully. _But I'm not going to do that,_ he reproached himself, frowning. _Come on, focus._

"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Vader said, attempting to earn Luke's trust. _Yeah, that's a lie... But, whatever._ "You have controlled your fear," he continued. "Now, release your anger," he instructed Luke. "Only your hatred can destroy me," he rasped, choking on the Tibanna gas that surrounded them. _Ugh... Luke shouldn't be breathing this stuff either,_ Vader realized worriedly. _Though maybe if he were drugged stupid, he would be easier to turn?_ he considered. _Right, then: this is a good plan,_ he assured himself, countering Luke's attacks.

_Um... Where'd he go?_ Vader blinked in confusion; Luke had been in front of him a moment ago, but now he was behind him. _How'd he do that? Did he somersault right over my head? Damn it, I have to pay better attention,_ Vader chided himself, turning around to continue their fight. _Yeah, I'm really not feeling well,_ he admitted; his whole brain felt foggy, and strange. _Sorry, Luke; this isn't going to work._

"Ohhhh!" Vader groaned dramatically, pretending to fall off the ledge into the pit below. _Gotta get away from that gas leak,_ he gasped, switching off his ventilator and quietly making his way through the shadows toward the nearby control room. _One of these buttons is supposed to purge the ventilation system,_ he remembered, squinting uncertainly at the controls on his chestplate; but his vision was all blurry, and he couldn't figure it out at the moment. _Eh, whatever,_ Vader sighed wearily, leaving it off for now.

He arrived at the control room, catching his breath for a moment while Luke tracked down his Force presence. _Okay, I feel a little better now... Kind of, sort of... No, not really,_ Vader admitted, blinking dizzily. _Ah, I gotta finish this up,_ he resolved, as Luke joined him in the control room. _All right: focus,_ he told himself, switching his ventilator back on.

Luke ignited his lightsaber at the sound of his mechanical breathing, and Vader approached slowly, activating his own red saber. _I'll be lucky if he doesn't kill me,_ Vader admitted. His vision was completely blurred now, and the whole room was spinning around; it felt like a really weird dream. _How am I supposed to turn Luke to the Dark side, when I can't even think straight?_

_I can't,_ Vader confessed ruefully. _Okay, then... Plan D?_ He vaguely understood that he needed Luke to come with him, though he wasn't exactly sure why. _I have to capture him, without killing him,_ he reminded himself, furrowing his brows. _Aha! I'll just knock him unconscious,_ he decided, looking for a suitable blunt object for the task.

_This should work..._ Vader used the Force to rip a piece of machinery off the wall, hurling it at Luke. _Oops,_ he cringed. _That one missed._ They clashed sabers for a moment, then he tried again. _Yes! That almost did it,_ Vader noted; it hit Luke in the back of the head, but didn't quite knock him out. _Maybe one more?_ He tore another machine off the wall, throwing it at Luke. _No,_ he sighed, trying again, and again. _Gah, this isn't working,_ he blinked in dismay, realizing that he was just bludgeoning the poor kid.

_Sorry, Luke,_ Vader winced apologetically. _This wasn't my best plan ever,_ he admitted. _I have to quit screwing up here, or he's really going to hate me forever._ Focusing his resolve, he tore an even bigger piece of machinery off the wall, hurling it at Luke with all his might. But his aim was off; it missed Luke by several feet, and crashed straight through the window.

_Ahh! Not good..._ Vader blinked in alarm, grabbing hold of the wall; but Luke got caught in the vacuum, and went flying out the window. _Noooo!_ Vader walked quickly to the ledge, looking down. All he could see was a blur of lights, but he could sense Luke's presence just below him, and sighed in profound relief. _There must be a ledge below this window,_ Vader guessed. _But I can't see it,_ he confessed ruefully, not wanting to jump blindly down into the abyss without knowing what he was aiming for. _I'll have to take the long way down._

_Hang on, Luke; I'll be there in a minute,_ Vader promised, making his way through the hallways. _I can't see worth crap,_ he confessed; he'd read the warning label for Tibanna gas before, and had to admit it was alarmingly accurate. _May cause dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, disorientation, and impaired judgment,_ Vader recalled now. _Right; so that whole machinery Force-bludgeoning idea wasn't my fault,_ he told himself, as he reached the lower level. _I blame the Tibanna gas for that one._

_See? I'm doing fine,_ Vader realized, finding Luke in the lower hallway. _Hi, Luke,_ he thought cheerfully, as they resumed their lightsaber fight. _My vision's pretty blurry,_ he confessed. _But that's okay; a Jedi uses the Force to fight,_ he reminded himself.

Then he frowned, troubled. _Wait... No, I'm a Sith,_ Vader remembered, feeling a sudden twinge of shame at the thought. _But not just any Sith,_ he reassured himself. _I am the Worst Sith Lord Ever!_ Vader realized triumphantly, as they continued to fight. _All quake in terror, as I slash randomly at inanimate objects with my red lightsaber of doom!_ he laughed to himself, striking maniacally at the walls and railings as he drove Luke backwards. _My stupidity will rule the galaxy! Gaaaaarrrgghhh!_

_Ohhhh..._ Vader blinked dizzily, suddenly finding himself on a narrow bridge inside Cloud City's central core. _I don't feel so good._ There were bright lights spinning all around him, descending into a bottomless pit below; Vader was suddenly grateful for his empty stomach, for he felt decidedly ill. _Yeah, I'd better finish this up,_ he realized, focusing his thoughts once again.

_So... What am I doing here?_ Vader tried to recall. _Oh, yeah... Lightsaber fighting,_ he remembered, as he and Luke continued to exchange blows. _Right: I'm trying to get Luke to come with me, so I can train him._

_But how do you end a lightsaber fight, without killing your opponent?_ Vader wondered. It had been such a long time; he tried to remember his padawan studies, when he had learned Aggressive Negotiations from Master Yoda. _Come, on; think,_ Vader scolded himself. _Step One...? Oh, right,_ he remembered now. _'Into a weakened position, your opponent you must put.' Okay, then,_ he thought, tossing Luke to the ground. _There; that was easy enough..._

_Step Two,_ Vader tried to recall. _'Victory, you must then declare,'_ he remembered. _'Clear you must make it, that won, you have.'_ "You are beaten," he informed Luke now, holding his lightsaber to his face. "It is useless to resist." _So far, so good..._

_Step Three... Uh..._ Vader blinked, trying to clear the fog from his mind. _Gah, I can't remember... 'Destroy you, don't make me?'_ he thought uncertainly. _'Let yourself destroyed, don't be?' No, that's not it,_ Vader sighed; he'd never done very well in Master Yoda's class, but Obi-Wan had explained it all to him afterward, and it had made a whole lot more sense the way he'd put it. _Oh, right:_ "Don't let yourself be destroyed," he warned Luke. "As Obi-Wan did," he added regretfully, realizing that his old Master had broken that rule himself.

_Okay, Step Four... What? No!_ Vader sighed in dismay, as Luke suddenly struck back, getting to his feet again and resuming their fight. _Luke, I'm tired..._ "Ungghh!" Vader groaned, as Luke struck him in the shoulder. _Crap, now I have to start all over again,_ Vader realized, slashing randomly at some pipes to avoid Luke. _Gah... Back to the beginning, I guess,_ he decided ruefully.

_Step One: 'Into a weakened position, your opponent you must put.'_ Vader frowned uncertainly. The last time, he'd simply tossed Luke to the ground; but now his son was standing on the edge of the catwalk, and Vader feared he might fall down into the abyss. _There has to be another way,_ he told himself. _Come on, think... Oh!_ Vader remembered now. _Classic disarming technique,_ he recalled, meeting Luke's next blow. _Though I'd better be careful,_ he confessed worriedly. _Counter, parry, twirl, quick jab at the hilt... There we go,_ Vader thought triumphantly; his vision was still hopelessly blurry, but he could see a distinct flash of blue as Luke's lightsaber went flying down into the abyss. _Perfect; and now the fight is over, with no one getting hurt._

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Luke cried, dismayed by the loss of his lightsaber.

_Don't worry, Luke; we'll make you a new one,_ Vader thought cheerfully. _It'll be fun! _But the boy continued screaming childishly, and Vader frowned in disapproval. _It's only a lightsaber; don't be such a baby. __All right, Step Two: 'Victory, you must then declare.'_ "There is no escape," he told Luke. _And Step Three: 'Destroy you, make me don't...' - oh, right:_ "Don't make me destroy you," Vader warned him. _See? I've still got it,_ he realized, pleased with himself. _Luke and I are gonna do just fine._

_Okay... Step Four,_ Vader tried to recall now. _Step Four... Um... What the hell was Step Four?_ Vader furrowed his brows; but his brain felt all foggy and weird, and he just couldn't remember. _Ahh, screw it._

"Luke, you do not yet realize your importance," he told his son, getting straight to the point. "You have only begun to discover your power! Join me, and I will complete your training," Vader said proudly. "With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring Order to the galaxy," he promised. _I'll train you, and then we'll figure out a way to restore the Jedi Order,_ Vader resolved. _I can't think straight at the moment, but - I'm sure we can find a way, if we work together._

But Luke was not convinced. "I'll never join you!" he yelled angrily.

_Yeah... He hates me,_ Vader realized, feeling a painful twinge of shame. "If you only knew the power of the Dark side..." _You'd understand what happened to me,_ he sighed regretfully. _Does he even know?_ "Obi-Wan never told you, what happened to your father," Vader said quietly.

"He told me enough," Luke replied. "He told me you killed him."

_What?_ Vader blinked, stunned. _No, Luke... Crap, is that what Obi-Wan told you?_ he realized suddenly. _Well no wonder you hate me..._ "No," Vader said, dismayed by the cruel lie. "_I_ am your father." _It's me, Luke... I love you._

There was a long silence. "No," Luke cried quietly. "No... That's not true," he protested, dismayed. "That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings," Vader encouraged him. "You know it to be true." _I love you, Luke; can't you feel it?_

"Nooooooo!" Luke screamed, traumatized by the thought. "Nooooo," he cried again pathetically.

"Luke, you can destroy the Emperor," Vader told him. "He has foreseen this. It is your destiny," he pleaded. "Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy, as father and son!" he added enthusiastically; then he furrowed his brows. _Yeah, that was the Tibanna gas talking,_ he confessed, realizing that last part was slightly delusional. _I don't want to rule the galaxy; I just want to set things right._

"Come with me," Vader pleaded, holding a hand out to his son. _We'll find a way to overthrow the Emperor, and rebuild the Jedi Order. We can do it, together; I know we can!_ "It is the only way," he insisted. _Please, Luke. You need someone to train you, and I'm all there is..._

But suddenly Luke jumped down off the ledge; Vader peered blindly into the abyss, but could see only a blur of lights. _There's another catwalk down there, somewhere,_ he guessed. _But darned if I can see it..._ Vader reached out with the Force, trying to locate his son; but Luke's presence was distant, and elusive. _He's trying to hide,_ Vader realized, though he could sense his son's anguish.

_I should give him some time to think it over,_ Vader decided reluctantly. _Though I fear I may never see him again,_ he admitted, making his way back to the landing platform. _And I've only got a year left,_ Vader realized once again, his heart sinking. _Damn it... Now what?_

"Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival," he instructed his officer glumly, heading back to his shuttle.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_All right; hold it steady,_ Leia told herself, trying to steer the _Falcon_ as they made their escape. _A little to the left... Ahh! We're tilting,_ she realized worriedly. _Is that normal?_ She wished Han were here; his absence made it painfully clear that it was finally time to learn how to fly.

Chewie was being very supportive of her efforts, helping her out from the copilot's seat. When they had boarded the _Falcon_ a minute ago, Lando had run straight for the cockpit; but Chewie had 'accidentally' tripped him as he ran past, allowing Leia to claim the pilot's seat for herself.

_We're doing fine,_ Leia reassured herself, grateful that they'd finally managed to escape Cloud City. She hoped Luke was all right. They'd seen him in the hallway a few minutes ago, but Luke had wisely heeded her warning, and hadn't gotten involved. _Hopefully he made it back to his X-wing, and is long gone by now,_ she guessed. _Luke is very good at sneaking around. I'm sure he's fine..._

_So why do I keep imagining that he's hanging from an antenna, and crying out in pain?_ Leia wondered, troubled by the disturbing image that was invading her mind now. _Ugh... Sometimes I really hate my stupid overactive imagination_.

She'd had this problem ever since she was a young princess, on Alderaan. Leia had often awakened in the night, imagining that she'd seen a Nerf herder in her bedroom, lurking in the shadows and watching her quietly as she slept. But when her parents had heard her cries and rushed in to investigate the situation, she had been forced to admit that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. _Why would a Nerf herder be in your bedroom?_ Bail had pointed out gently, tucking her back in bed. _You're on the twelfth floor of the royal palace, and all the doors are locked,_ he'd reassured her. _I promise you, there's no way a Nerf herder could get in through your window._

Since then, Leia had tried her best to ignore the strange images that sometimes came to her. Still, they made her anxious, and could trouble her for days. _I have to check this out,_ she sighed. _I have to make sure Luke isn't dangling from that stupid antenna, so I can put this out of my mind._

"We've got to go back," Leia told the others. _Sorry; this will just take a minute._

"What?" Lando asked.

"I know where Luke is," Leia insisted. She couldn't help worrying that she might actually be right. _I imagined that Han and Chewie were being tortured, and that turned out to be true,_ she admitted. _I have to at least look, and make sure Luke is okay._

"What about those fighters?" Lando protested.

"Chewie, just do it," Leia pleaded. _I don't know how to turn the ship around by myself._

"But what about Vader?" Lando asked.

"Rrrrrauuuurrrgghhh!" Chewie roared, exasperated.

"All right, all right; all right," Lando said defensively, backing off.

_We have to get Han back soon,_ Leia sighed. _This guy needs another punch in the face._

"Look, someone's up there," Lando pointed out.

"It's Luke," Leia told them unhappily. _I hate when I'm right._ "Chewie, slow down," she instructed her copilot, too distracted to bother with flying right now. _Besides, this is really tricky,_ she admitted. "Slow down, and we'll get under him... Lando, open the top hatch."

A moment later Luke was pulled aboard, and Leia rushed to him, embracing him in relief. He was bruised and bloody, and wrapped in a blanket; Leia quickly helped him toward the _Falcon's_ first aid station, laying him down on the little cot.

She hooked up the mini bacta tank, and started tending to Luke's face with a piece of gauze; but suddenly the ship lurched, and she realized they were under attack. "I'll be back," she told Luke, giving him a little kiss; he seemed to be all right, and not seriously injured.

But when she arrived back at the cockpit, she frowned indignantly, seeing that Lando had taken over the pilot's seat. After everything he had put them through, she hated that he was getting the credit for rescuing them now. _All right; but I'm still the boss here._

"Star Destroyer," Leia informed them, pointing out the front window. _They KNOW that's a Star Destroyer,_ she realized, admitting that she was only stating the obvious. _Great; now I'm just randomly naming objects in outer space,_ she sighed, resisting the temptation to forcibly wedge her way back into the pilot's seat. _Come on, Lando. Let me fly._

_Well at least I can prepare for the jump to lightspeed,_ Leia decided, turning to the navicomputer. _Lando's hogging the pilot's seat, but I know where we're going, and he doesn't,_ she thought, setting the coordinates for the Rebel fleet's rendezvous point.

"All right, Chewie," Lando said, still trying to act like he was in charge. "Get ready for lightspeed."

"_If_ your people fixed the hyperdrive," Leia reproached him. "All the coordinates are set," she told Chewie. "It's now or never."

"Punch it!" Lando said; but the engine stalled, and Leia gave him an annoyed look. _Seriously; are you good for ANYTHING at all?_ Chewie was having a full-blown tantrum now, and Leia sighed wearily, sinking into the passenger's seat and holding her head in her hand.

"They told me they fixed it!" Lando protested. "I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!"

Chewie roared in frustration, running back to fix the hyperdrive; Leia followed him out of the cockpit, deciding to check on Luke. _Maybe HE can punch Lando in the face, and get us out of here,_ she thought optimistically; but as she reached the first aid station, she gasped in horror. _How can he punch Lando in the face... if he hasn't got a hand? _Leia rushed to his side. "Luke, what happened?" she asked, her heart sinking. _This is... awful,_ she realized, tears springing to her eyes. _He seemed all right before; I had no idea..._

"Vader," Luke moaned unhappily, as Leia rifled frantically through the _Falcon's_ first aid kit, looking for something that might help. _Painkillers... Antibiotic ointment... Bandages... Aha! Temporary prosthetic hand,_ she sighed in relief, grateful that Han had been prepared for this exact scenario. _And it's a Righty... Perfect,_ Leia told herself stubbornly, forcing aside her profound dismay as she gently strapped it onto Luke's arm.

"There you go," Leia said, stroking his hair tenderly. "You're going to be all right; I promise," she reassured him. "I have to get back to the cockpit," she apologized. _We're still under attack here..._ "Are you okay for a minute?"

"Lightsaber," Luke moaned deliriously. "Ben... Yoda... Pollywog soup... Vader... Tibanna gas... Father... Noooooo..."

_Oh dear,_ Leia sighed in dismay, heading back to the cockpit. _He's a bit out of it._

* * *

_"Father."_

Vader blinked in surprise. _What?_ He could have sworn he heard Luke's voice inside his head. _Luke... Son, can you hear me?_ But there was no reply; Vader frowned worriedly, heading to the _Executor's_ command bridge. _Is the Falcon still having engine problems?_

"They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, Lord," Admiral Piett informed him, as he approached the front window.

_And why is that?_ Vader wondered, confused. "Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the _Millennium Falcon?_"

"Yes, My Lord," Piett replied.

_Ahh, that would explain it._ Vader was still feeling the effects of the Tibanna gas, and struggling to grasp what was happening. "Good," he told Piett; but then he blinked, realizing what his Admiral had just accomplished. _He's managed to capture Luke for me, when my own methods failed,_ he confessed, feeling a surge of newfound hope. _This is perfect! Piett, you're the best._ "Prepare the boarding party, and set your weapons for stun," he commanded the Admiral. _I don't want anyone getting hurt._

"Yes, My Lord," Admiral Piett replied, carrying out his orders.

_"Father,"_ came Luke's voice again, pleading.

_Luke! I'm here,_ Vader thought, trying to reach out to him. _Luke... Luke! LUKE..._ "Luke," he said out loud, hoping that might help.

_"Father!"_ came Luke's reply.

_It worked...? Luke, I hear you!_ Vader thought happily. _Oh... I love you,_ he sighed, closing his eyes. "Son," he said out loud, ignoring the confused stares of his men. "Come with me," he pleaded once again. _I'll train you, Luke; and we can rebuild the Jedi Order, together._ "Luke... It is your destiny," he told his son. _We can overthrow the Emperor; I know we can..._

But suddenly the _Falcon_ blasted into hyperspace, and Vader sighed in dismay. _Damn it... We almost had them,_ he thought ruefully, looking out the window once more. But he realized Luke was gone, and Vader turned reluctantly, heading back to his private quarters.

Admiral Piett took a step backwards now, his expression apprehensive; but Vader just smiled ruefully as he passed by. _No, I'm not going to strangle you,_ he promised. Piett was a decent man, and Vader had not forgotten the strange sense of compassion he'd felt from the Admiral earlier this morning, during his embarrassing hat-rack incident. _You tried your best to capture Luke safely,_ Vader realized, grateful to have at least one intelligent, loyal officer under his command. _I appreciate the effort._

_We'll find Luke again,_ Vader resolved, heading back to his quarters. _I won't give up this time,_ he told himself, amused by his sudden desire to take his job of pursuing the Rebels seriously. _I only have a year left; but that's enough time to train Luke, and teach him what he needs to know, to rebuild the Jedi Order,_ Vader thought. _This is what I am meant to do,_ he realized, reaching his chamber. _I can feel it._

_But for now,_ Vader sighed, closing the door behind him and pulling off his helmet, in the privacy of his own quarters. _It's dinner time,_ he confessed wearily, heading over to his little kitchen area to find himself something to eat.

* * *

_An hour later..._

"Luke, we're ready for takeoff," Lando said, over the transmitter; he and Chewbacca were leaving immediately for Tatooine, to scout out the situation with Han and Jabba.

"Good luck, Lando," Luke said. _I wish I could go with them,_ he confessed, as the medical droid finished working on his hand. But Leia had insisted that he take a little time off, and get settled in their new base on Selvaris first. _I don't need time off; I need to keep busy,_ Luke sighed ruefully, wishing he could just run away from all the disturbing thoughts in his head, and put this whole experience behind him.

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you," Lando said.

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine," Luke agreed. _Though hopefully it won't come to that_. With any luck, Jabba had already released Han from the carbonite, and put him straight to work on a smuggling assignment; Luke hoped they would hear from Han personally before too long. _We'll help him pay off his debt, and get him out of that mess._

"Princess, we'll find Han," Lando told Leia confidently. "I promise."

"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal," Luke said. "Take care, you two. May the Force be with you."

"Rrrraaauuuuughhhh," Chewbacca roared in reply; Luke had no idea what he was saying, but he could hear a definite tone of longing and dismay in the Wookiee's voice. _Don't worry, Chewie,_ Luke thought, as he and Leia shared an amused smile. _We'll get Han back real soon... And then he can give Lando a good punch in the face, for all of us._

The medical droid finished up his new mechanical hand, and Luke closed the wrist panel, wiggling his fingers experimentally. _Well that's pretty neat,_ he confessed, getting up to join Leia by the window. _See? I'm all better,_ he thought, putting his arm around her as they watched the _Falcon_ take off.

Their own ship made the jump to hyperspace, along with the rest of the Rebel fleet; Leia turned to Luke now, smiling tenderly as she gave him a big hug. "Are you all right?" she asked for the tenth time, her brown eyes filled with concern.

_"Pollywog soup,"_ came a voice in Luke's mind. _"Good food! Come, come!"_

Luke smiled, nodding. "Yes," he assured Leia, hugging her appreciatively. "I'm fine." _It's just the Tibanna gas,_ he hoped. _Nothing to worry about; everything will be back to normal soon,_ Luke tried to convince himself, as they made their way to their new base on Selvaris.

_And Vader is DEFINITELY not my father._


	16. No, that's not true, that's impossible

**Chapter 16**

"Johnny!" Leia exclaimed, embracing him in the docking bay of their new Selvaris base.

"Leia," Johnny greeted her cheerfully, hugging her. "Hey, Luke," he added, with a relieved grin. "I heard about what happened," he said, casting a concerned glance at his hand. "Are you all right?"

_Ugh... This again._ "Yeah," Luke nodded, smiling in reassurance. "I'm fine." _Aside from being the poster child for idiocy,_ he sighed, embarrassed by the attention everyone was giving him. _Don't play with lightsabers near a Tibanna gas leak, boys and girls._

"Have you heard from Han?" Leia asked Johnny, as they made their way through the hangar. They were hoping that Jabba had already put Han back to work on a smuggling job, and that he might contact them before too long.

"No," Johnny said. "But hopefully Lando will have news for us soon," he added, giving Leia an apologetic look. "Hey - you're just in time to see the twin sunrise... Want to go watch it?" he suggested. "It's really cool."

"Sure," Leia agreed, following him toward the door; but then she turned back, concerned. "Luke, are you coming?"

"Eh, you guys go ahead," Luke said. "I've seen a million twin sunrises," he reminded them, with a rueful grin. "Anyway, I have some things I need to take care of," Luke apologized, as Leia and Johnny nodded in acceptance, trying to hide their concern.

_I wish people would quit worrying about me,_ Luke sighed, continuing through the hallway. He'd been through a lot these past few days, and it was hard enough dealing with his own concerns, without worrying about what _other_ people were thinking. _I just need a little time alone._

_And I need to restock a few things,_ Luke confessed, finding his way toward the supply room. He'd lost his lamp on Dagobah, along with his orange Rebel jumpsuit, thanks to Yoda's bizarre possessive impulses. _And I left my X-wing in Cloud City,_ he sighed, realizing he would need to get it back somehow. He'd also lost his lightsaber on Bespin, not to mention his hand; and as a result of all this - he suspected worriedly - his mind as well.

Luke had done his best to hide these various losses from Leia and the others, not wanting to alarm them; but he sensed that Leia saw through his cheerful protests, and was deeply concerned for him. _She doesn't even know I went to Dagobah,_ Luke admitted; and it wasn't just because he didn't want her to worry. Leia was his superior officer in the Rebel Alliance, and if she found out he had disobeyed orders, he could face disciplinary action.

_Not that I really care about that,_ Luke sighed. _But if she decides to hook me up to General Dodonna's lie detector machine...?_ He shuddered, fearing what the results might tell them. _Did Vader actually say he was my father?_ Luke wondered again, profoundly disturbed by the thought. _Or did I just hallucinate that whole thing?_ There had been so many voices in his head lately; it was difficult to tell what was real, and what wasn't.

_Hopefully things will get back to normal soon,_ Luke thought, picking out a new orange jumpsuit and a lamp from the supply room. _If I can just avoid snow monsters, concussions, hidden planets, and Tibanna gas leaks for a few days - with any luck, I'll get my sanity back._

Luke made his way toward the living quarters, and found his new room; he sat down on his bed, but then sighed unhappily, wishing once again that he could have gone with Chewie and Lando. _Sitting around here doing nothing is not going to help me,_ Luke thought. _I need to keep busy, and get my mind off things, so I can put all this behind me._

But now he heard a knock on his door, and could sense Johnny outside. _He probably needs help with some kind of project,_ Luke guessed, getting up and going over to the door. _Cool; I need something to do._ "Hey, Johnny," he said, grateful for the distraction. "What's up?"

"Hey, Luke," Johnny said, giving him an apologetic smile. "Uh, I found some schematics on the HoloNet, and I was wondering if maybe you - "

"Sure," Luke agreed cheerfully, joining him in the hallway.

Johnny laughed. "I didn't even tell you what it was," he chided Luke, as they made their way back toward the hangar.

"Sorry," Luke apologized, grinning. "So - what are we building?" he asked, curious. Johnny handed him a portable datapad, and Luke blinked in surprise at the schematic diagram. "A lightsaber?" he asked, stunned. "You found this on the HoloNet?"

"Yeah," Johnny said. "I heard you needed a new one," he added, with an apologetic look.

"No kidding," Luke agreed ruefully. "Wow... I had no idea this was on the HoloNet," he told Johnny appreciatively. _That was really nice of him..._Then he laughed quietly, guessing what was going on. "Leia put you up to this," Luke reproached him.

"No," Johnny protested. "Well, maybe," he admitted, grinning ruefully. "So... you want to make one or not?"

"Heck yeah," Luke said, peering at the schematics. "You really think we can?"

"I think so," Johnny said. "We've got everything we need... Except we'll have to use green crystals, instead of blue," he apologized. "Supposedly they work just the same, though," he told Luke.

"Okay; cool," Luke agreed, as they arrived at the mechanic workstation, adjacent to the main docking bay. Johnny began gathering some supplies from the shelves, which he brought over to a small table in the corner of the station.

"Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could make two of them," Johnny said, giving Luke a hopeful look. "According to the schematics, they'll have a practice setting," he told him. "Maybe I could help you train," he offered, somewhat apologetically. "I mean, not that you need it - "

Luke laughed, sitting down at the table. "Was that Leia's idea as well?"

"Maybe," Johnny confessed, grinning. "She doesn't want you losing any more body parts," he told Luke, looking through a box of supplies.

"Well, that makes two of us," Luke agreed. "Yeah, if you don't mind... that would be great," he said appreciatively, as Johnny brought the rest of the materials over to their little work table.

"Cool," Johnny said, taking a seat beside him. "I was just looking on the HoloNet; there are all sorts of tutorials on there, for different swordfighting styles," he told Luke. "I don't know; maybe some of them might be helpful," he suggested.

"Sounds good," Luke agreed, nodding. "I have no idea what I'm doing," he confessed, with a rueful grin.

"And yet you survived a fight with a Sith Lord," Johnny pointed out, obviously impressed.

"Eh... barely," Luke admitted modestly. "Anyway, I don't think he was trying to kill me," he told Johnny. _Because he could have done a lot worse..._

"No?" Johnny asked, surprised. "What was he trying to do, then?" He gave Luke a concerned look.

_Gah..._ "I don't know," Luke said, shrugging uncomfortably. _I don't want to talk about that._

Johnny nodded quietly. "So, first we need to assemble the power supply," he told Luke, tactfully changing the subject. "We need to attach all these wires onto here," he explained, as Luke watched closely, following his instructions.

_"Pollywog soup!"_ said a voice in his head.

_No_, Luke frowned stubbornly. _I didn't hear that._

"And then - " Johnny broke off, seeing his disturbed expression. "Luke, are you okay?"

"What? Yeah," Luke told him, nodding quickly. _I'm perfectly fine; aside from going insane._ "Um... So, this wire goes here?" he asked Johnny, pretending to have been confused about their project.

"Right," Johnny told him, smiling encouragingly.

_"Come, come!"_ the voice said again. _"Incomplete, is your training!"_

Luke furrowed his brows, focusing on his work. _If I just ignore it, it will go away. _But then he blinked uncertainly. _What if I AM supposed to go back to Dagobah, to complete my training?_ he wondered. _I'm so confused..._

"Luke, are you sure you're all right?" Johnny asked, concerned. "We can do this later," he suggested.

"No, I'm fine," Luke insisted. "I just - " _I have to tell someone about this, or I'll go nuts_. "Promise you won't tell Leia?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't want her to worry," he apologized.

"Okay," Johnny agreed cautiously. "Although it's too late for that; she's already worried," he pointed out, with a rueful smile. "She thinks you're hearing voices again," he told Luke quietly, giving him a questioning look.

_Ugh..._ "Yeah; well, she's right," Luke admitted. "But just for the past few days," he assured him. "I'm sure it will stop, once things get back to normal," Luke said, continuing to work on his new lightsaber.

"Yeah," Johnny agreed, nodding. "It's probably just stress... It can do really weird things to you," he told Luke. "I mean, look at me; I forgot my whole life," he pointed out with a commiserative grin, sympathizing with Luke's plight.

_That's right,_ Luke realized, giving Johnny a worried look; sometimes he forgot that Johnny had been diagnosed with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and had spent four months in a mental institution back on Coruscant, after losing his memory. _Damn, that's got to suck_. But Luke smiled appreciatively, grateful for Johnny's understanding. _He doesn't judge me for losing my mind; he knows what it's like._

"So... these voices," Johnny asked curiously, as they continued working on their lightsabers. "What do they say?" There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, but Luke knew that he didn't mean it unkindly. _He's laughing with me, not at me._

"Heh... a lot of things," Luke confessed. _Pollywog soup, for example_. "I don't know; it started after I got attacked by that snow monster on Hoth," he told Johnny. "I had a concussion, and then I was lying in the snow, and I imagined that Ben Kenobi was there, talking to me."

"Yeah? So what did he say?" Johnny asked, laughing quietly.

Luke shrugged, giving Johnny an apologetic look. "He told me to go to Dagobah."

"Dagobah?" Johnny repeated; then he blinked worriedly. "And you _did?_"

"Yeah," Luke admitted, cringing. "When I said I was on Sullust for repairs...?"

"Holy crap, Luke - "

"I'm sorry," Luke apologized. "Please, don't tell anyone," he begged him again.

Johnny nodded, frowning uncertainly. "So... What happened?"

"I found Master Yoda," Luke told him. "The leader of the Jedi Order."

Johnny blinked skeptically. "And did _he_ talk to you, too?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "Yoda taught me... a lot of things," he said, finishing up his power supply. "I mean - strange things," he confessed, giving Johnny a hesitant look.

"Strange, like how?" Johnny asked.

"Like, standing on my head and lifting rocks with my mind," Luke told him, somewhat embarrassed. _Crazy, I know..._

"Holy crap," Johnny laughed.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I kept having all these strange visions, and hallucinations; Ben was talking to me a _lot_," he confessed. "And Master Yoda - he's - he's insane," Luke admitted reluctantly. "One minute he'd seem all right, and then suddenly he'd be off chasing frogs and giggling like a lunatic, and he'd completely forget what he was doing... Anyway, I'm kind of worried about this Jedi stuff," Luke confessed quietly, shrugging. "I don't know, if it's such a good idea after all."

"No kidding," Johnny agreed, blinking; then he noticed Luke was finished with his power supply. "Okay, so next we need to assemble the crystal laser," he told Luke, looking over the schematics. "Here," he said cheerfully, handing him a box of small green crystals. "Pick a good one."

Luke nodded appreciatively, picking one out. "See, this is fun," he said, as they began constructing their lasers. "And useful," he added. "Master Yoda didn't teach me anything about fighting; or anything practical at all," Luke confessed. "It was mostly just weird hallucinations."

"So - have you had any, since then?" Johnny asked, concerned.

Luke laughed ruefully. "Yeah," he admitted, putting his laser together. "In Cloud City... Vader hit a Tibanna gas line with his lightsaber," he told Johnny. "And I tried not to inhale, but - " he blinked in confusion. "Yeah, things got pretty weird," he admitted.

Johnny laughed. "Weird, like how?"

"Like... Well, you can't really _see_ when he talks," Luke pointed out. "So I couldn't tell the difference between what he was actually saying, and what I was just imagining," he confessed ruefully. _Such as the part about him being my father..._ "And even afterwards, aboard the _Falcon_ - I kept hearing his voice, in my head," he told Johnny, attaching his crystal to the laser assembly.

"Yeah?" Johnny asked worriedly. "So what did Darth Vader say... in your head?"

Luke shrugged. "That I should come with him," he said reluctantly. "That it's my destiny."

"Holy sh - " Johnny blinked in alarm. "Luke, that is seriously messed up."

"I know," Luke agreed; then he sighed. "And that's not even the worst of it," he admitted. _I have to tell someone, or this will drive me nuts. _"During our fight, after he - " Luke glanced ruefully at his hand. "I imagined that he told me - " he gulped, tears springing to his eyes.

"Luke... what?" Johnny asked, giving him a concerned look.

"He said... he said he was my - _father_," Luke whispered, trying to blink away his tears. "But I probably just imagined it," he insisted. "I mean, I'd inhaled a lot of Tibanna gas, and I was in shock," he confessed. "It's not true... right?" Luke asked helplessly.

"Wow," Johnny said quietly, blinking. "No, Luke," he told him. "Leia says your dad was the one that put Vader in that suit," he pointed out, giving Luke a reassuring smile. "These voices you hear... that's not normal," Johnny warned him. "You can't believe what they tell you."

Luke nodded, grateful for his advice. "You're right," he agreed; but then he frowned. "But - sometimes," he added hesitantly. "The voices, and the hallucinations... sometimes they _are_ true," he confessed. "Like on Dagobah, I imagined that Han and Leia were in trouble, and it turned out to be right," he admitted, confused. "And Ben told me I would find Yoda on Dagobah," he pointed out. "How could I have made that up?"

Johnny nodded quietly. "Look, I'm no expert, about Jedi stuff," he apologized. "But some of that is normal," he told Luke. "Not the voices... but - I get ideas, and _feelings_ like that, all the time - and so does Leia," he insisted. "Sometimes we're right; sometimes we're wrong," Johnny said, shrugging. "I don't know... Back on Coruscant, the doctors told me that there's a lot more to the human brain, than anyone understands - like how to cure amnesia," he pointed out, with a rueful grin. "I think _everyone_ has a sixth sense, or whatever you want to call it," Johnny confessed. "And maybe Jedi are just better at it than most people."

"Yeah... that makes sense," Luke agreed. "But - hearing voices?" he asked, uncertain. "That's not normal?"

"No," Johnny said emphatically. "That's the sort of thing you get locked up for," he admitted, giving Luke a worried look. "But it's probably just stress," he reassured him. "The voices went away before, right?" he pointed out.

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "I'm sure I'll be fine, in a couple of days," he agreed.

"Good," Johnny said optimistically. "Just don't listen to them," he advised Luke. "And the next time a voice inside your head tells you to go and do something crazy," he added, with a meaningful look. "Talk to me first, okay?"

Luke laughed, embarrassed. "All right," he promised. "I will."

"Okay," Johnny agreed, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "So," he said, peering at the schematics again. "Looks like we're almost done here; we just need to construct the hilts, and put it all together," he told Luke.

"Cool," Luke said, smiling appreciatively. _This is so much fun..._ He followed Johnny over to the welding station, and they put on their masks, constructing their lightsaber hilts; and a few minutes later they were all finished.

"Wow... this is awesome," Luke said, igniting his new lightsaber for the first time, and admiring its green shimmer.

"Yeah," Johnny agreed, lighting his as well. "Want to try them out?" he suggested cheerfully, as Luke nodded, following him out to an open area in the hangar. "Use the practice setting," Johnny reminded him, switching his to low power. "Or Leia will kill us - if we don't kill each other first," he laughed.

"Right," Luke agreed, switching his own lightsaber to its practice setting. The green laser beam suddenly became less intense, and the hum was much quieter; Luke was grateful for the obvious difference, realizing that a mistake could be deadly.

"Okay... um..." Johnny grinned, spreading his feet apart and raising his lightsaber defensively. "We'll study some swordfighting tutorials later," he reminded Luke. "Just - do what you do," he said, cringing apprehensively as he prepared himself for Luke's attack.

"Heh... okay," Luke said, coming toward him and swinging cautiously. He aimed for Johnny's lightsaber, making his strikes slow and obvious to give him a chance to react; but Johnny had good reflexes, and countered his strikes with relative ease. _Wow... This is great,_ Luke admitted, grateful to have someone he could practice with. _Neither one of us knows what we're doing; but if we study some tutorials, we'll get better at this, _he realized, quickening his attacks slightly, as Johnny seemed to be able to handle a faster pace.

"Come on; you can hit harder than that," Johnny assured him, as they continued to fight. "Pretend I'm Vader," he suggested, grinning._"Kooooooohhhh,"_ he added mischievously, as Luke laughed in amusement. _"Luke... You have failed me for the last time,"_ Johnny told him, doing a surprisingly good impersonation of the dreaded Sith Lord.

"Haha," Luke laughed. "The scary part is you're actually really good at that," he admitted, striking at him harder than before.

"Well, I used to work for him," Johnny pointed out, countering his strikes. _This is excellent practice,_ Luke confessed. Johnny was nearly the same height as Vader, and it wasn't difficult to imagine that he was fighting the Sith Lord himself. _He even FEELS like Vader, in a way,_ Luke admitted, confused by what his senses were telling him. _Gah, I'll never understand this Jedi stuff..._

"Hey!" Leia exclaimed cheerfully, finding them in the docking bay. "You're finished already? That was fast," she said, impressed with their new green lightsabers.

"Yeah," Luke said, giving her an appreciative smile. _Thanks for the suggestion._ "Now we just have to read up on some swordfighting tutorials, and figure out what the heck we're doing," he laughed ruefully, as he and Johnny stopped for a moment.

"Well, it looks like you're doing pretty well already," Leia told them, with an encouraging smile. But then her expression grew troubled. "Lando just called," she told them. "He found Han; he's still in - " Leia broke off unhappily. "It turns out Jabba wants to keep him as a decoration," she explained, sighing. "And now he's put a bounty on Chewie, too," she added. "Apparently he wants to have him stuffed, to add to his display."

"Crap," Johnny said, as Luke blinked in alarm. "We'd better go there," he said worriedly, heading for the ship.

"Wait," Leia stopped him. "There's more," she said regretfully. "Jabba's set a security password on the controls to... to Han's - " she gulped tearfully, unable to finish that sentence; Johnny put a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a regretful look. "Anyway, we can't release him without the password; Lando's trying to figure it out," Leia told them. "He's applied for a job as a security guard in Jabba's palace; he starts work tomorrow," she explained. "He's going to try to get the code, and let us know when he has it."

Luke and Johnny nodded quietly, sobered by this news. "And Chewie?" Luke asked in concern. "Is he all right?"

"Oh... yes," Leia said. "Lando said he escaped - barely," she told them. "He's on his way back now, with the _Falcon_."

"Well that's a relief," Johnny said, giving her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Your Highness; we'll get Han back," he promised. "Hopefully Lando will figure out that password, and then Luke and I will go down there, and take care of it," he told her.

Leia managed a brave smile. "Yes, I'm sure it will be fine," she agreed. "Lando seemed fairly confident that he'd be able to get that code. And even if he can't," she added, a twinkle of amusement in her brown eyes. "If you two go down there and start swinging those lightsabers around in Jabba's face, I bet he'd give up that password pretty fast."

"Heh," Luke laughed, amused by the thought. "Maybe," he agreed.

"Eh, I don't know," Johnny said skeptically. "Personally, I'd rather bring a thermal detonator," he admitted, with a mischievous grin. "Seriously - we could blast the whole palace to the ground, and Han would be fine," he pointed out. "And I'm sure Artoo could figure out a way to override the password, after we pull him out of the rubble."

"That's not such a bad idea," Leia confessed. "Although I'd rather find a way that doesn't anger the entire Hutt Empire," she added with a look of reproach, as Johnny laughed apologetically. "But some of that could work," she said, patting him affectionately on the shoulder.

"Anyway... I'll let you get back to your practice," Leia told them. "General Willard and I are expecting a call from Mon Mothma," she explained, taking her leave. "See you at lunch, then?"

"Sounds good," Luke agreed cheerfully, as Leia headed back to the command center.

"Hopefully Lando will figure out that password soon," Johnny said quietly, gazing after her in concern.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "And maybe after we get Han back, those two will finally admit that they like each other," he added, with a weary sigh. "It's getting bad," he informed Johnny. "She kissed me again, on Hoth... right on the lips," he said, cringing.

"She did?" Johnny laughed, surprised. "Most people would _like_ that, you know," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," Luke said, laughing. "But... I could tell she was just doing it to spite Han," he added, trying to explain why it had felt so disturbingly _wrong_. "Jedi intuition, I guess," he said, with an apologetic shrug.

"Ah," Johnny said, nodding. "Well, I wouldn't worry," he told Luke matter-of-factly. "She's kissed Han a bunch of times since then."

Luke frowned. "She has?" he asked, surprised. "How do you know?" _You weren't there..._

Johnny shrugged. "Jedi intuition, I guess," he repeated innocently, igniting his green lightsaber. _What?_ "Hey, I might not be able to lift rocks with my mind, but _that_, I can tell," Johnny reproached Luke, adopting a defensive stance.

"Really?" Luke asked, confused. _I swear, I can't tell the difference between what's a Jedi power, and what's normal._ "So - you had a vision or something, of the two of them kissing?" he asked Johnny, trying to understand.

"Um... Not exactly," Johnny explained; he gave Luke an apologetic look, but there was a sparkle of amusement in his blue eyes. "Leia told me, when we were out looking at the twin sunrise," he confessed, grinning mischievously.

"Oh, you - " Luke laughed, shaking his head. _Jedi intuition... yeah, right._ "All right, Captain Doe," he warned Johnny, igniting his new green lightsaber in retaliation. "You're going down," he vowed, as they clashed playfully at each other once again.


	17. Why are these Nerf herders in the story?

**Chapter 17**

Obi-Wan emerged from the Redrehfren's hill-hut, hiking up to join Ekul in the grassy pasture where he was tending the herd. "The others are on their way back from Karfeddion," Obi-Wan informed him; Anakin and Aiel had been on a scouting mission for the past two days, along with Yoda and Tika, and had just called to say they were on their way home.

"Ah," Ekul said, nodding cheerfully. "Do I have time to run to the store before they get here?" he asked; it was customary to hold a Council meeting whenever anyone came back from a scouting mission. "We're out of Luffi crackers."

Obi-Wan blinked. "Didn't you just get some the other day?"

"Not the kind with Korysh seeds." Ekul was a bit of a picky eater, and was very particular about what type of snack food he wanted, from one day to the next. "We could use some more Pemberry jam, too."

Obi-Wan laughed, shaking his head. _Yes, what a tragedy it would be if we were forced to eat the six other types of jam we already have._ "Of course," he told Ekul good-naturedly. "The others should be back in about half an hour."

"Okay; I'll be quick," Ekul promised, heading down the winding country path that led to the village below their hillside pastures.

Obi-Wan watched him leave, smiling in amusement. _Some things never change._ Ekul and Aiel had been knighted several months ago, but the boy still hadn't outgrown his finicky eating habits, or his childish excitement over something as simple as a visit to the local general store.

_He's not a Nerf herder at heart,_ Obi-Wan laughed quietly, once again finding himself left to tend the herd alone. _And neither am I,_ he confessed; Anakin and Aiel took their Nerf herding quite seriously, but Obi-Wan and Ekul had always found the whole thing a bit daft. _Though I suppose I should make an effort to do something here,_ he sighed. _Or Aiel will be very cross with me when she gets back._

Obi-Wan picked up a brush which Ekul had left on a nearby rock, and set to work combing out one of the beast's fur. "Hold still, young one," he said gently; Aiel and Anakin had given them all names, but Obi-Wan couldn't begin to keep them straight. This one had grey and white fur, which was several inches long now; it was nearly ready for shearing. _But not if it all turns to dreadlocks,_ he admitted, carefully brushing out its thick woolly coat.

The Nerf rubbed its curly horns against Obi-Wan's leg, enjoying the attention; he smiled, giving it a gentle pat on the head as it blinked its golden eyes. "All right; off you go," he said, as the little creature trotted away to join the others. "Who's next? You there," Obi-Wan decided, using a subtle Force-command to beckon over a tawny-brown Nerf with even longer fur.

_I'll be glad when Aiel gets back... A__nd so will the herd,_ Obi-Wan thought, casting a bemused glance at the decidedly scraggly-looking beasts. But now he looked up, sensing someone approaching: it was Kiran, a boy from one of the neighboring farms. Kiran often came by to help Aiel tend the herd; the two of them had been close friends since childhood, though Obi-Wan suspected that their feelings for each other ran deeper than they admitted. He'd seen them exchanging shy glances at the Equinox festival a few months ago, though Kiran hadn't gotten up the courage to ask Aiel to dance; Obi-Wan had kept his observations to himself, amused by the fact that Anakin didn't seem to notice.

"Hello there, young one," Obi-Wan said cheerfully, as he continued to brush the Nerf's tawny fur.

"Hi, Nawibo," Kiran replied, joining him. "How's it going?"

"Very well, thank you," Obi-Wan said with a fond smile, silently cursing Anakin once again for the idiotic backwards pseudonyms he'd chosen for all of them here on Kalydon. "Nikana and Aiel should be back from Dorvalla soon," he told Kiran. In truth, the Jedi were on their way back from a scouting mission on Karfeddion; but as usual, their absence was explained as a visit to Aiel's grandparents on Dorvalla.

"Oh," Kiran nodded, smiling appreciatively. "Um... Actually, I was looking for you," he told Obi-Wan. "My sister has a bad fever again," he confessed; Obi-Wan could sense his quiet concern. "Do you have any more of those tea leaves you gave her last time?"

"Yes, of course," Obi-Wan said, heading back toward their hill-hut. He kept an herb garden outside their kitchen, and had gained quite a reputation as the local medicine man. "How long has Mikala had the fever?" he asked gently.

"Since last night," Kiran told him. Mikala was nine years old, and had been plagued by recurring fevers since infancy. Obi-Wan suspected she had some type of immune system disorder, and he'd always done what he could to help her. There were no proper doctors here on Kalydon, and secretly he feared that without his endeavors, the girl might have died years ago.

But he smiled now, hiding his concern. "Here we are," Obi-Wan said cheerfully, picking some tea leaves from his garden. "And I'll make her a poultice as well," he decided, choosing another type of broad-leafed herb. "This should help bring the fever down."

"Thanks, Nawibo," Kiran said. "Um... I can probably make the poultice, if you tell me how?" he offered. "I didn't mean to bother you."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Obi-Wan assured him. _I have to give it to her myself._ In truth, his herbal remedies were not nearly as potent as the local villagers believed; it was his Force-healing powers that were largely responsible for keeping his Kalydon neighbors remarkably healthy these past twenty years.

Obi-Wan called the herd in now, ringing the little bell that signaled it was time to go back to their pen. "Here, Nerfs - you too, Jar Jar," he added sternly, waving his fingers at the mischievous Nerf which was now predictably bounding off in the wrong direction. Jar Jar was one of the few Nerfs that Obi-Wan knew by name; he was by far the most hyperactive - and least intelligent - member of the herd.

"Come on, Jar Jar," Kiran echoed, calling him back to the pen; he had helped Aiel with this countless times, and knew the drill. "Good boy," he said, scratching Jar Jar affectionately behind the ears, as Obi-Wan closed the gate to their enclosure.

"All right, then," Obi-Wan said cheerfully, as they headed down the path together. "Let's see what we can do about about that fever." Kiran smiled appreciatively, and Obi-Wan realized once again that this boy could very well be his future grand-padawan-in-law. _O__r something like that?_ Obi-Wan's brows furrowed uncertainly. He hadn't shared his hopes with Anakin or Yoda, but the three of them had quietly decided to wait a few years before taking on new younglings, to see if perhaps Ekul or Aiel might take care of that issue on their own.

Obi-Wan found it strangely ironic that he actually _wanted_ the young Jedi Knights to begin families of their own. The situation had changed dramatically since Anakin's day; and if Ekul or Aiel were to have children, the presence of new younglings in the Redrehfren family would be much more easily explained to the local villagers, than if they were to suddenly begin adopting foster children, for no apparent reason.

_Aiel and Kiran are too shy to admit their feelings for each other; but it might happen before long_, Obi-Wan thought, as they continued along the country path. _Now if only we could convince Ekul to take an interest in one of the local girls,_ he sighed with amusement. Aiel had _almost_ danced with Kiran at the Equinox festival; but Ekul had only put in a brief appearance that evening, and had disappeared before the dancing started.

_Ah, well; he's still young,_ Obi-Wan told himself. And he considered it a blessing that Ekul was the opposite of his father, in so many ways; he was far more level-headed, and there was a childish innocence about him, that Anakin had never had. _He'd rather shop for Luffi crackers and Pemberry jam, than chase after girls,_ Obi-Wan realized, smiling affectionately. _But that's what I love about him._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"That will be seven twenty-four," Saryja said, ringing up her customer's order.

"Seven twenty-four," the elderly lady repeated, counting the money from her purse. Saryja heard a jingling sound in the doorway, and looked up now; she was managing the store by herself today, as her parents were off-planet restocking their supplies.

She smiled as she recognized the newcomer. "Hi, Ekul," Saryja greeted him cheerfully; Ekul Redrehfren lived up in the hills beyond the village, but was one of the store's most loyal customers, and shopped here nearly every day.

"Hi, Saryja," Ekul said, with a shy smile. He was a year older than Saryja, but so adorable, with his blond hair and blue eyes; she'd had a crush on him since she was a young girl. "Hi Lavinia," he added politely, to the other customer.

"Hello, Ekul." Lavinia smiled warmly. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you," Ekul replied, picking up a shopping basket. "And you?"

"Oh; can't complain," Lavinia insisted, counting out her money. "Seven twenty-four; here you go, dear," she said, paying Saryja for her order.

"Thanks, Lavinia," Saryja said, handing her the bag of groceries; but it was rather heavy, and the elderly lady struggled to carry it in one arm, leaning on her cane with the other.

"Here, I'll get that for you," Ekul offered, taking the bag from her. Lavinia lived right here in the village, and it was just a short walk to her house.

"Thank you, Ekul," Lavinia said appreciatively. "Such a sweet boy," she remarked, as he helped her out the door.

_Yes, he is,_ Saryja thought with a wistful smile, watching them leave. _He's a really good kisser, too,_ she giggled to herself. Saryja and Ekul had kissed at the Equinox festival a few months ago, and several times since then. But they had kept their relationship secret so far, enjoying their private moments together; news traveled ridiculously fast among the villagers, and they weren't ready for _everybody_ to know how they felt.

Ekul returned a minute later, and smiled as he came back inside the store. "Hello," he said softly, embracing Saryja; they kissed, and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hello," Saryja said, smiling as she gazed into his blue eyes. "Are you coming to the Midsummer festival?" she asked; Ekul often visited his grandparents on Dorvalla, and wasn't always around for their local celebrations.

"I hope so," Ekul said, stroking her hair tenderly. "I'm visiting my grandparents for a few days; it's fruit-picking season, and they need help with the orchard," he explained. "But hopefully I'll be back in time for the festival," he told her, a look of longing in his eyes.

Saryja smiled. "Maybe we can hide up in the tree again, and just watch everything," she suggested; that was how they'd spent the entire evening at the Equinox festival, and no one had even noticed they were missing.

Ekul's blue eyes twinkled mischievously. "Maybe," he agreed; then he looked down shyly. "Saryja... I love you," he said simply, giving her a look of quiet adoration.

Saryja's heart fluttered. "I love you too," she said softly, as they kissed again. "But you'd better get back to your shopping, or the whole village will know about it," she warned him, seeing another customer approaching from outside the store.

Ekul grinned, letting go of her. "All right," he agreed, turning his attention to the store's shelves. "I need to get home soon anyway," he said, giving her one last tender smile. "I just came to pick up a few things."

* * *

_A few minutes later..._

"There you are," Obi-Wan said, finding Ekul in the kitchen of their little hill-hut. "You're late," he added, with a hint of reproach; Anakin and the others had returned several minutes ago, and were already waiting at their secret Council meeting area, out in the woods.

"Sorry," Ekul apologized, putting away the groceries he'd just bought. "I had to help Lavinia," he explained. "And I bought a few things for Master Yoda and Tika," Ekul added; thanks to his bizarre - though undeniably practical - obsession with shopping, the Jedi's cabinets were always well-stocked. But now he gave Obi-Wan a questioning look. "Anyway, you're _later_," Ekul pointed out, in his defense.

"I was visiting Mikala; she has a fever again," Obi-Wan explained regretfully.

"Yeah? Is she all right?" Ekul asked, concerned.

"She seems to be," Obi-Wan assured him. "Come," he said, patting Ekul on the shoulder as he headed for the door. "The others are waiting."

They made their way out through the pasture and into the forest, finding the others gathered around their familiar campsite. Aiel and Tika shared their usual perch on a fallen log, playing a game of Force-juggling with acorns and pine cones, while Master Yoda meditated peacefully on a boulder nearby. _I take it the scouting mission went well, then,_ Obi-Wan thought, noting the generally cheerful mood of his colleagues.

Anakin was napping on the log that he and Obi-Wan usually shared, but opened one eye now, giving Obi-Wan a look of reproach. "You're late," he said, as Ekul took a seat on the boulder across from him.

"My apologies," Obi-Wan replied, smiling warmly. _I've missed you as well, Anakin._ But then he frowned, noting that Anakin was still lying down, taking up the entire log. _Oh, so we're playing THIS game again,_ he realized with amusement. _Very well, then._ "Anakin, sit up," Obi-Wan reproached him. "This is a Jedi Council meeting, not psychotherapy." _Though Force knows, you need it._

Aiel and Tika giggled, and Anakin scowled, sitting up and reluctantly making room; but at usual, not _enough_ room. _Must we go through this exercise every time?_ "Move over, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, prodding him assertively as he took a seat beside him. "You know there's a knot on this side; it's uncomfortable."

"Well there's a knot on this side too," Anakin protested, refusing to budge. Obi-Wan kicked him in the boot, and Anakin furrowed his brows defensively, kicking him back. _Honestly, Anakin; will you NEVER grow up?_

"Enough!" Yoda scolded them both, as Tika and Aiel giggled again; Ekul grinned quietly, sitting cross-legged on his own boulder.

"Fine," Anakin conceded grudgingly, moving over two inches.

"There; now, was that so difficult?" Obi-Wan asked, settling in comfortably beside him. But he gave Anakin another subtle nudge with his knee, and Anakin elbowed him playfully, suppressing a grin. _It's good to have you back, Anakin. I'd die of boredom without you._

"Much to discuss, we have today," Yoda began, addressing the small band of exiled Jedi in their makeshift Council chamber. "Tika... your report, please," he said, nodding appreciatively to his young Ewok padawan.

"Yes, Master," Tika replied. "We've all heard on the radio about the incident on Ord Mantell the other day, and the invasion of the Rebel bases on Anobis, and Hoth," she began, as the others nodded in solemn agreement. "But Master Yoda and I just found out that there was another incident, on Bespin," Tika said. "Luke and Leia were both there, but escaped safely," she informed them.

Aiel turned to her, startled. "They were?"

Anakin blinked in concern. "They did?"

"Hmmph," Yoda reproached them. "Surprised by our discovery, you are?" This scouting mission had been primarily Yoda and Tika's operation; Anakin and Aiel had insisted on tagging along to provide emergency security, though Yoda had proudly maintained it wasn't necessary.

"No, Master," Anakin apologized. "Well, yes; I'm surprised by the news," he conceded. "But you were right; our presence on this mission was unnecessary," he informed the others. Master Yoda had sewn himself an Ewok costume from Nerf-wool, to wear when he took his padawan out on scouting missions; the others had been slightly apprehensive of this plan, but so far it seemed to be working amazingly well.

"Told you, I did," Yoda agreed stubbornly. "Tika... continue, please."

Tika nodded. "We were unable to discover where the Rebels have gone... as usual," the little Ewok sighed, as Obi-Wan smiled in rueful amusement. "But the good news is the Empire doesn't know where they are, either," she pointed out. "Um... Well, that's it," Tika finished uncertainly, giving her Master an apologetic look. "I think?"

"Thank you, Tika," Master Yoda said, nodding. "It seems that safe, for the moment, the Rebels are," he informed the others. "And Luke and Leia, as well," he reassured Anakin. "But another troubling matter, I have discovered," he said, with a regretful sigh.

"A sensational news article, the _Galactic Sun-Times_ has just published on the HoloNet," Yoda told them. "A list of 'The Empire's Most Wanted,' they have compiled. Unofficial, this list is," Yoda said. "But pictures of Luke and Leia, they have included."

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan murmured, as Anakin frowned, troubled by this news. Until recently, Luke and Leia had managed to stay beneath the media radar; this was the first time that their pictures had been published, identifying them as enemies of the Empire. _Well that's not good_, Obi-Wan thought, concerned for them; but then he blinked in alarm, realizing that this impacted Ekul and Aiel as well.

"Recognize these pictures, our Kalydon neighbors might," Yoda warned them. There was no HoloNet signal here on Kalydon; but the local villagers often visited relatives on other planets, and could potentially see this report. "A grave threat to our own security, this is," Yoda admitted, shaking his head. "Leave Kalydon now, we must," he told them. "Come, the time has, to move to Gorak III."

"No," Aiel blurted out helplessly, giving voice to what everyone else was feeling. _Gorak III is a blasted horrid place,_ Obi-Wan thought glumly; it was dark, and miserable, and rained there nearly all the time. But they had discovered a hidden network of underground caves on a rocky island in the middle of the ocean, and the Jedi had designated Gorak III as their emergency retreat, should they ever need to escape from Kalydon.

"No?" Yoda repeated, giving Aiel a look of reproach at her outburst. "A better idea, have you, then?"

Aiel looked down. "No, Master Yoda," she apologized; but then she blinked uncertainly. "Well... Yes," she admitted, giving the others a hesitant look. "Our neighbors here on Kalydon - they _hate_ the Empire," Aiel pointed out. "If they recognized the pictures, and thought that Ekul and I were involved in the Rebellion... They wouldn't turn us in," she insisted. "They'd probably give us a medal."

"Hmmm." Yoda considered her idea thoughtfully. "Dangerous, this is," he admitted. "Obi-Wan; what say you?"

"I agree with Aiel," Obi-Wan said quietly. "No one here on Kalydon is loyal to the Empire; that much is certain," he assured Yoda. "But if our neighbors were to discover the pictures of Luke and Leia, they might have questions for us, that would be difficult to answer."

"Hmmm," Yoda agreed solemnly. "Anakin?" he asked, requesting his opinion; the Jedi Council had a centuries-old tradition of honoring the views of its three wisest elders, and it was a sad state of affairs that Anakin was now counted among them.

"I don't want to leave Kalydon," Anakin confessed. "But I think it's the safest choice," he admitted regretfully. "If we moved to Gorak III, we could take on new younglings, and no one would notice," he pointed out.

Yoda nodded, weighing his decision. "Aiel... More to say on this subject, have you?" he asked, seeing her obvious dismay.

"Yes, Master," Aiel replied hesitantly. "If our neighbors see these pictures, and we leave Kalydon... They'll _still_ have questions; we just won't be here to answer them," she pointed out. "Our leaving doesn't solve that problem," Aiel warned them. "And I don't believe anyone would turn us in; but if someone _did..._ The Emperor could learn of our existence, and come looking for us."

"Hmmm," Yoda said. "Right, you are," he agreed. Obi-Wan nodded quietly, admitting once again that Aiel had inherited her mother's intelligence, as well as her courage for standing up for her beliefs. "An alternative plan, you would suggest then?"

"Yes, Master," Aiel said. "What if... what if we just told them the truth?" she asked. "Our neighbors hate the Empire, and quietly cheer for the Rebellion," she reminded them. "If they knew that the Jedi existed, they would support us too. And if they don't," she said, frowning uncertainly. "We could make them forget that we told them," Aiel suggested, glancing hesitantly at Obi-Wan.

"It could work," Obi-Wan admitted. "I think it's a good idea," he added, as the others nodded in agreement.

"Hmmm," Yoda said, giving Aiel a curious look. "And why wish you to stay here on Kalydon?" he challenged her. "So attached to Nerf herding, are you? Hmm?"

Aiel laughed quietly. "Yes," she admitted. "But - it's not just that," she told Yoda. "I would be sad to leave our neighbors, as well," she confessed, looking down.

"Oh?" Yoda asked, surprised; he and Anakin weren't aware of her feelings for Kiran. "Anyone in particular?" he questioned her, his expression hopeful.

"Um... well..." Aiel blinked uncomfortably. "Yes," she confessed, shrugging. "I like Kiran."

"What?" Anakin stared at her, caught off guard.

Obi-Wan laughed, amused that Anakin had completely missed the fact that his own daughter - and former padawan - was in love with one of the locals. _Now you know how it feels_, he thought, remembering his own shock when he had discovered the truth about Padme.

"Aiel... really?" Anakin asked, still unable to grasp this concept. "You like Kiran?"

"Well - " Aiel cringed in embarrassment, realizing everyone was staring at her. "Ekul kissed Saryja at the Equinox festival," she blurted out.

"What?" Obi-Wan exclaimed, turning to his own ex-padawan now.

"What?" Anakin repeated, staring at his son.

"Aiel!" Ekul reproached her, exasperated.

"Sorry," Aiel cringed, giving her brother an apologetic look.

"Huh?" Tika blinked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Yoda sighed, shaking his head. Then he closed his eyes, lapsing into meditation until the childish outbursts were through, and all eyes were upon him once again. "For eight hundred years, the Jedi Order have I served," he reminded them solemnly. "And many changes have I seen, over the course of my career," Yoda admitted. "But _this_ change, long ago should have taken place," he told them.

"Attachments make us stronger," Yoda confessed quietly. "The Dark side of the Force - hatred, and anger - these things tear the galaxy apart," he cautioned the others. "But the Light side binds us together; as does love," he said. "Attachments - to our home, to our neighbors, to each other - give us a reason to fight, for those that we love," Yoda told them. "Learned this lesson the hard way, we have," he admitted regretfully. "Much suffering could have been avoided, had we come to this realization earlier," Yoda sighed, shaking his head.

Obi-Wan nodded quietly; they had discussed this issue many times over the past twenty years, and realized now that it was not _love_ that had made Anakin vulnerable to Palpatine's advances, but rather his frustration with the rigidity of the Jedi Code, and his inability to talk about his feelings with people who could have helped him. _Not to mention a healthy dose of stupidity,_ Obi-Wan suspected, sighing ruefully. _But if Anakin had been allowed to marry openly, Palpatine would have had no hold over him,_ Obi-Wan confessed. _And I would have married Siri, had it been possible._

"Attached to our home here on Kalydon, we have all become," Yoda admitted. "Good relations with our neighbors, you have developed," he added appreciatively. "Get to know them as well, I should like," he confessed; Yoda and Tika had lived a fairly isolated existence out here in the woods, though they'd made the best of it, and had been happy in their own way.

"Agree with young Aiel's idea, I do," Yoda decided. "Talk to the neighbors, you will," he instructed Obi-Wan. "The truth, you will tell them: that the Jedi still survive," Yoda said. "That here on Kalydon, much stronger we have grown," he added, glancing proudly at Ekul, Aiel, and Tika. "And that shorter than we imagined, our exile might be," he reminded them, with a knowing look.

Obi-Wan nodded; they had all felt the subtle change in the Force these past few years, and knew that people across the galaxy were secretly rooting for the Rebel Alliance, and that the Emperor was quietly but undeniably losing his hold. Palpatine was an old man, and would not survive many more years; he was training a new Apprentice named Mara Jade, but from the reports they had heard, she was far less powerful than Vader.

_Palpatine will be gone in a few more years,_ Obi-Wan knew. _And then it will be the six of us, against Vader and Mara Jade... And an Empire that is in danger of collapsing inward on itself, even without our help. _The Jedi had been extra cautious these past twenty years, as they trained their padawans in exile; but the time to reclaim the galaxy from the Sith was nearly upon them.

"Yes, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, as their Council meeting adjourned. "I shall speak with the neighbors at once."

* * *

_A few minutes later..._

Rayland looked up from his farm work, seeing a neighbor approaching along the narrow country path. "Hi, Nawibo," he called to him now, setting aside his shovel for a moment. _I could use a break anyhow_. "What brings you out this way?"

"Hello, Rayland," Nawibo greeted him politely. "Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you. Nikana said you were telling him about a Jedi named Skywalker, the other day?"

"Oh, right," Rayland agreed; Nikana had come over to fix his tractor, and they had talked about the recent incident on Ord Mantell. "Nikana's too young to remember the Clone Wars, but I thought you might," he said good-naturedly. Nawibo was closer to his own age; perhaps a few years younger, at the most.

"Anyway, I was telling him how this young Rebel - Luke Skywalker, he's called - has gone and named himself after one of the most famous Jedi, back in the day," Rayland said, giving Nawibo a questioning look. "So, do you remember him?" he asked. "Anakin Skywalker; we were always hearing about him on the radio... Along with General Kenobi," he added, with a sigh of regret; Kenobi had survived in exile for nearly twenty years, but had finally been killed by Darth Vader two years ago.

Nawibo smiled. "Yes, I remember both of them."

"Ah; I thought you would," Rayland said. "It's a damn shame, what happened to the Jedi," he added, sighing. "What I wouldn't give to have them back again."

"Interesting that you should mention that," Nawibo said thoughtfully. "As it happens, there is one thing you could do..."

* * *

_Later that evening..._

Rayland grinned, shaking his head as Nikana and Nawibo joined the villagers in the town meeting hall, along with Ekul and Aiel. ___Well I'll be damned._ We've had six Jedi in our midst all this time - including Kenobi, Skywalker, and Yoda himself - and never knew it.

"Well I guess we're all here," Rayland said, as the villagers became quiet, curious what he had to say. "Thanks for coming - and I promise, you won't be disappointed," he told them, with a knowing grin. _Wait 'til you hear this. _"I'll get right to the point here: If you found out that some of your neighbors were wanted by the Empire, what would you do?"

"Give them a blasted medal," Loran the butcher stated emphatically, joined by echoes of agreement all around.

"I don't know," Orrick joked. "Depends on who they were... And how much the Empire was paying," he added, as some of the villagers laughed, and others smacked him indignantly.

"I figured you'd say that," Rayland sighed. "What if I told you that it was the Redrehfrens who were in trouble?" Everyone turned around in surprise to look at Nikana, Nawibo, Ekul, and Aiel, who were seated in the back.

"The Redrehfrens?" Orrick repeated. "What are they wanted for - some kind of Nerf herding violation?" he asked, as the others laughed. "Hey, what have you been doing with them Nerfs, Nikana?" Orrick gave him a suspicious look. "No funny business, I hope." Ekul and Aiel giggled, but Nikana frowned in confusion, as Nawibo sighed, shaking his head.

"It's no Nerf herding violation that they're wanted for," Rayland told the villagers. "We'll get to that in a minute. But first - in case you're getting any funny ideas," he said, with a reproachful look at Orrick. "Who remembers what happened a few years back, when our village was attacked by raiders? Orrick - tell us who it was, that got rid of them."

Orrick sighed. "It was Nikana," he admitted grudgingly. "He took out a dozen of them, with a pitchfork." Then he blinked in apprehension. "On second thought - forget what I said before... No hard feelings, eh?" he said, giving Nikana a worried look.

"And who remembers that slaving vessel that stopped by, about ten years back?" Rayland asked the villagers. "They rounded us all up aboard their ship, and were about to haul us off to the spice mines of Kessel... Until Nawibo came along, and had a little chat with them. He advised them not to trouble with us, and told them to move along."

"That's right," Irissa said, giving Nawibo an appreciative look. "And they actually _listened_ to him."

"When your farm equipment breaks, who fixes it?" Rayland asked. "And when your kids get sick, who brings them medicine? The Redrehfrens need our help now," he told the villagers. "It's time to pay them back, for all they've done for us."

"So... What are they wanted for, anyway?" Loran asked.

Rayland gave the villagers a solemn look. "High treason, against the Empire. Before they took up Nerf herding here on the Outer Rim, Nawibo and Nikana were Jedi Knights, of the Old Republic," Rayland said, as hushed murmurs arose among the villagers. "They've been hiding here on Kalydon for the past twenty years, training their young padawans," he added, glancing at Ekul and Aiel.

"Now I'll let Nawibo explain to you, what's going on," Rayland said. "But first, I just have one question for all of you," he challenged his stunned neighbors. "Who here wants to turn them in?"

No one spoke.

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Saryja," Ekul asked, as they sat in a tree together, quietly watching the Midsummer festivities below. "Will you marry me?"

Saryja smiled, her heart fluttering. _He's a Jedi,_ she realized; the villagers had finally been told the truth about the Redrehfrens, and Saryja was as stunned as everyone else. _And he's a clone, _she knew._ B__ut he's a CUTE clone. _Saryja giggled affectionately, gazing into his blue eyes._ He's sweet, and kind-hearted, and wonderful... and I love him, _she confessed, returning his adoring smile. _I always have._

"Yes," Saryja said, her eyes filling with joyful tears. They kissed again under the stars; then Saryja sighed happily, laying her head against Ekul's shoulder as he lovingly wrapped an arm around her.


	18. I thought it was about TK 421

**Chapter 18**

_Four months later..._

"Come on," Luke challenged Johnny, as they clashed lightsabers once again. "Try to hit me."

"I _am_ trying," Johnny protested, swinging at him as hard and fast as he possibly could. But Luke either deflected his blows, ducked out of the way, somersaulted over his head, or jumped straight up to the ceiling, if all else failed. _He's gotten really good at this,_ Johnny admitted, impressed by Luke's progress. _I can't even touch him._

The only problem was, Luke couldn't touch _Johnny_ either. They had both been learning swordfighting techniques from the HoloNet, and even without Force powers, Johnny was able to parry or dodge all of Luke's attacks as well._ Somersaults and Force-jumps are good defensive strategies, but they're not going to help him kill Vader,_ Johnny confessed worriedly.

But now they both looked up as the _Millennium Falcon_ flew into the docking bay; Chewbacca had been teaching Leia how to fly, and she was doing amazingly well. Johnny grinned as the _Falcon_ lowered its landing gear, touching down precisely in its designated spot. "Nice landing," he said, as Leia and Chewie came down the _Falcon's_ ramp.

"Rrraauuuugghhh," Chewie agreed proudly, patting Leia on the shoulder with his big furry paw.

"Thank you," Leia said with an appreciative smile, though Johnny could sense her sadness. _She's missing Han._ Luke, Johnny, and Chewbacca had been doing their best to cheer Leia up these past four months; but in truth, they were all deeply concerned over Han's situation.

Lando was still on Tatooine, working as a security guard in Jabba's palace and keeping an eye on things. But in his attempt to discover the security password for Han's carbonite slab, he had found some more disturbing news: whether on purpose or by accident, Jabba had also set a time lock on the controls, and even with the password, Han could not be released until a full year had passed.

Leia had been devastated by this news, and the Rebels had considered stealing Han away from Jabba, even if they couldn't release him from the carbonite yet; but then they'd have a pack of bounty hunters after them again. And while it was unlikely that Jabba's bounty hunters would find their base here on Selvaris, they had another base on Rothana, which was dangerously close to Tatooine.

So with great reluctance they had decided to leave Han where he was for now. Lando insisted he was safe for the moment, and was quietly keeping an eye on the situation. The Rebels were planning a rescue operation in eight more months, when the time lock on Han's carbonite slab expired. But until then, they were doing what they could to keep Leia from sinking into depression, and Chewie's flying lessons were a welcome distraction.

"Lunch time?" Luke suggested cheerfully, turning off his green lightsaber.

"Sure," Leia agreed. "How's the practice coming along?" she asked, as they made their way through the hangar.

"Pretty well," Luke told her. "We're learning this new technique from the HoloNet..." He broke off suddenly as Vanden Willard emerged from the command center, his expression concerned.

"Mon Mothma just called," General Willard said, beckoning them inside. "The fleet has intercepted an Imperial transmission, sent to Star Destroyer _Avenger_ from Palpatine's office on Coruscant. The Emperor is on his way to visit the Sith graveyards on Korriban now - in a private shuttle, accompanied only by his personal bodyguards," he informed them.

"He asked the _Avenger_ to provide backup outside Korriban," General Willard continued. "But the bulk of the Imperial fleet - including the _Executor_ - is currently near Riflor, on the other side of the galaxy. So it seems that for the next several hours at least, the Emperor will be relatively undefended, and vulnerable to attack."

Johnny blinked, surprised by this news. _Well we should go there right now,_ he thought. The Rebel fleet could easily hold off one Star Destroyer, and even the Emperor would stand no chance against the entire Rebel Alliance, with only his personal bodyguards to defend him. But it wasn't Johnny's place to make that decision, so he remained silent.

Leia's expression was troubled. "How were we able to intercept this transmission?"

"The Emperor's message was encoded incorrectly," Willard told them. "Instead of entering his password to create a secure transmission, it seems he accidentally _included_ his password, as part of the message," he explained. "So not only do we know where he's going, but we also have top-level access to the entire Imperial database - at least until the Emperor realizes his mistake, and changes the code again."

Leia frowned. "It could be a trap."

General Willard nodded. "Yes, that is Mon Mothma's concern as well. Most of the Imperial fleet is currently near Riflor, but there are at least a dozen Star Destroyers unaccounted for. They could be ready to emerge from hyperspace right outside Korriban, the moment we show up."

_Oh,_ Johnny nodded quietly, admitting that it was far too suspicious. _It's not like the Emperor to make a mistake like that._

"Mon Mothma has come up with another plan, though," General Willard continued. "General Madine has already tested the password, and was able to remotely download a complete list of all the security codes currently in use by the Empire. But he has just discovered that top-level classified information can only be accessed from three specific computer terminals," he explained.

"The first is of course in Emperor Palpatine's private office, on Coruscant," Willard told them. "And the second is aboard his personal shuttle - which is on its way to Korriban now, and could be relatively undefended once it lands. But Mon Mothma feels that an attack on Korriban is too risky; the chances are too great that the Emperor has set a trap for us," he confessed, as the others nodded in reluctant agreement.

"But there is a third computer terminal, from which classified information can be accessed," Willard continued, his expression solemn. "Mon Mothma believes that with the security codes General Madine downloaded, it could be possible to gain access to this third computer terminal, and find out what the Emperor is _really_ up to," he told them. "But this would be a deep undercover spying operation. The sort of mission that - back in the days of the Old Republic - would have been assigned to a Jedi Knight," he added, with a wistful smile. "Luke," he said gently. "Mon Mothma has asked if you would be willing to do this."

Luke blinked, sobered by the idea. "Of course," he agreed, nodding. "So... where's this third computer terminal?"

General Willard sighed. "Inside Darth Vader's private office, aboard the _Executor_."

_What?_ Johnny blinked in alarm. _You've got to be kidding..._

"How am I supposed to get in there?" Luke asked uncertainly.

"You'll board the _Executor_ from one of our stolen Imperial crafts - a shuttle would probably be best," Willard said. "General Madine has sent us a list of current landing codes; even if the codes have been recently changed, you won't be suspected," he told Luke. "You'll be wearing a technician's uniform, so you'll be able to access any of the computers aboard the _Executor_, without suspicion," he explained.

"As soon as you get aboard, you'll need to update your security badge, to allow access to Vader's private office," General Willard continued. "You'll show the badge to the guards outside his chamber, and explain that you need to update the software on his personal computer system," he said. "And then you just need to download the secure files onto a datachip - then get out of there, before you're caught," he warned Luke. "The whole operation should take less than twenty minutes."

Luke nodded. "I can do that," he agreed cautiously. "But - I might be recognized," he pointed out. Luke was number one on the Empire's Most Wanted list, and his picture was all over the HoloNet these days. "Besides, Vader will sense my presence, the minute I come aboard."

"That's right," Leia agreed worriedly, as Johnny nodded. _Yeah, that isn't going to work._

General Willard sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "We had hoped the disguise would be effective; but if Vader is able to sense you... Well, I guess that's that," he said, with a regretful smile. "I'll let Mon Mothma know we won't be able to go through with it."

"Wait," Johnny said, as an idea came to him. "I could do it," he suggested hesitantly. "No one will recognize me, and I know my way around an Imperial starship," he pointed out. "I used to work on one; I know how to blend in."

General Willard gave him a surprised look. "That's true," he admitted. "Do you think you could manage it?"

"I - " Johnny blinked. _I have no idea._ "So - I'd just have to fly a shuttle on board, and issue myself a security badge," he repeated, going over the plan. "And then say I'm there to update the software on Vader's computers. Then I'll download whatever secure files I can find onto a datachip; and then get out of there, before anyone notices... How hard can it be?"

"I don't know," Leia objected. "If anything goes wrong..." She shook her head, not wanting to finish that sentence.

_Yeah, no kidding,_ Johnny agreed. "But if it goes _right..._?" He gave General Willard a questioning look.

"If it goes _right_," Willard replied, "We might find something, that could give us an important advantage," he confessed. "Something that could even help us to defeat the Empire, once and for all."

"Well then I'll do it," Johnny insisted. "Twenty minutes, right? In and out, before anyone notices... It's worth a try."

General Willard nodded. "I agree," he said quietly. "But if you're going to do this, now is the time," he warned him. "Before the Emperor realizes what's going on, and changes those security codes."

"All right, then," Johnny said bravely. "I'm ready."

Ten minutes later he had changed into an Imperial technician's uniform, and met the others in the docking bay, where they were preparing his shuttle. "Here's a datachip, and your security badge; and a list of codes you'll need," General Willard said, going over the details with him once again. "Good luck, Captain Doe," he said, smiling appreciatively as he shook his hand. "May the Force be with you."

"Thank you, General," Johnny said. "Well," he added, giving the others a rueful smile. "I'll see you guys in a few hours."

"That's right," Luke agreed, with stubborn optimism. "Be careful," he added seriously.

"And do something with your hair," Leia chided him, trying to tuck it inside his technician's cap. "The Empire doesn't hire Nerf herders," she said, as Johnny laughed apologetically. "Good luck, Johnny." Leia embraced him warmly; Johnny could sense everyone's profound concern over this assignment, but they were doing their best to hide it. "See you back here soon."

"Rrrraauauuughhh!" Chewbacca agreed, giving him a giant Wookiee hug. "Arrff Rrouff Raarghh!"

"All right," Johnny laughed. "I'll see you all later." He managed a cheerful grin as he climbed aboard his Imperial shuttle. A moment later he lifted off, waving goodbye as the shuttle's wings unfolded; then he took off from the docking bay, continuing up through the blue sky until he reached the stars. _I'll be back soon,_ he reassured himself stubbornly as he set the coordinates for lightspeed. _I hope... _But he couldn't help feeling anxious as he blasted into hyperspace, heading for the Imperial fleet outside Riflor.

_Better me, than Luke, though,_ Johnny thought, leaning back in his pilot's seat as he made the journey through hyperspace. _He's the last of the Jedi,_ Johnny realized. _If there's some crazy undercover operation that could go horribly wrong, he shouldn't be the one to do it. _

Luke had become somewhat of a celebrity since the incident on Ord Mantell four months ago, and support for the Rebel Alliance had increased dramatically now that people believed they had a young Jedi among their ranks. _He's the poster boy for the Rebellion, and our best chance at winning this war,_ Johnny admitted. _We can't afford to lose him._

_As for me... _Johnny sighed ruefully._ I'm more expendable,_ he admitted. _No one knows who I am; including myself, _he confessed._ If something happens to me, no one outside the Rebel Alliance will even know, or care._

Johnny shook his head with regret. _See, this is why I don't write to Kalana,_ he reminded himself once again. At least, it was _one_ of the reasons. Johnny had never once written to her, since he'd left Coruscant to join the Imperial Army two years ago. At first, it was because he had quickly realized his mistake, and knew that Kalana would not be impressed by his decision to become a Stormtrooper.

But after he'd joined the Rebellion, another reason had become apparent. When he had first applied for his job as a Stormtrooper, Johnny had listed his former boss, Raq, as his next of kin, since he had no family of his own. Raq was Kalana's father, and Johnny had realized - a month too late - that they had received an official notice of his death, after the destruction of the Death Star.

Luke and Leia had encouraged him to write to Raq and Kalana, and let them know that he was safe. But the problem was, he _wasn't_ safe. He had simply switched sides in this crazy war, and if anything, he was in even more danger than before.

_I've made Kalana mourn my death once already_, Johnny sighed glumly. _I'm not going to put her through that again._ That was, if she even cared at all; Johnny and Kalana had been good friends back on Coruscant, but nothing more. _Anyway, I'm sure she's met someone else by now, _he admitted. Kalana was a pretty girl, and fun to be around; what guy _wouldn't_ fall hopelessly in love with her?

_She deserves someone who can be there for her,_ Johnny thought regretfully. _Not someone who's halfway across the galaxy, and likely to get his stupid self killed one of these days,_ he sighed, still apprehensive about his upcoming spying mission. _I just want her to be happy,_ Johnny told himself. _I love her... But my place is here,_ he had come to believe strongly. _There's a war to fight, and I have to do my part._

Two hours later he arrived at his destination, and blinked worriedly as he saw the entire Imperial fleet before him. _What are they all doing out here, anyway?_ Johnny wondered, spotting the _Executor_ up ahead and approaching it cautiously. "Shuttle _Mercador_, requesting permission to board," he radioed to the _Executor's_ control room. "Landing code 49623." _Let's hope this works..._

"Shuttle _Mercador_, proceed to docking bay two," the operator replied.

_So far so good,_ Johnny sighed, coming in for a landing aboard the _Executor_. He adjusted his technician's cap nervously, making sure his hair was tucked neatly inside. Then, taking a deep breath, he opened the shuttle's hatch, walking down the ramp and trying to look official.

_First I need to update my security badge,_ Johnny remembered, continuing through the docking bay and looking around for a computer terminal. _Here we go..._ He found an unguarded terminal in an alcove just outside the docking bay, and set to work, using the codes General Madine had downloaded. Then he clipped the badge onto his uniform, displaying his special security status.

_And now, I just walk into Darth Vader's private office, and download all his top-secret files. __Easiest job in the galaxy_, Johnny told himself stubbornly, ignoring the queasy feeling in his stomach as he continued through the hallways. General Willard had included plans to the _Executor's_ layout on a mini-datapad which Johnny had studied on the way here, in preparation for his assignment.

A few minutes later he arrived at Vader's quarters, and showed his badge to the guard on duty. "I need to update the software on Lord Vader's computer system," Johnny explained, trying to sound confident. "But I don't want to disturb him," he added quickly, with an uncertain glance toward Vader's chamber. "I can come back later, if this is a bad time."

The guard gave him a strange look. "You don't get out of the lab much, do you?"

"Um... No, sir," Johnny apologized, looking down meekly. _Ahh! What does he mean by that?_

"Well, you should try reading an internal memo once in a while," the guard reproached him. "Lord Vader hasn't set foot aboard the _Executor_ in four months now."

"Oh." Johnny blinked in surprise. _Where is he, then?_ "I'm sorry, sir," he apologized, with an embarrassed look. "I'm just here to update the software on his computer. Is it all right if I do that?"

The guard sighed in annoyance. "All right; go ahead," he said, opening the door for him.

"Thank you," Johnny replied. _Well at least Vader isn't here_, he reassured himself, as he continued toward his private office. ___Heh... This place is pretty cool_, he admitted, stepping inside the spherical chamber and taking a seat in Vader's swivel chair. But then he blinked uncertainly, noticing a robotic arm attached to the ceiling. _What the heck is that?_

Johnny shook his head. _I don't want to know,_ he decided, turning to Vader's main computer and searching through his files for anything that was marked Confidential. _Okay; there it is,_ he noted, accessing the top-secret Imperial files. _'Enter Password'... No problem,_ Johnny thought, using the security code Mon Mothma had sent.

_'Initiating Retinal Scan' - what?_ Johnny blinked in alarm as a red laser suddenly turned on, probing his eyeballs. _Nooo!_ Panicking, he clutched at the arm of his swivel chair; but he accidentally hit a button, and suddenly the robotic arm descended from the ceiling, clamping firmly onto his head. _Ahh! It's some kind of spy-removal device,_ Johnny realized, as it began to yank him up toward the ceiling. But it lost its grip, pulling his technician's cap off his head instead. _What the hell IS that thing?_ Johnny wondered, staring up at it in confusion.

_'Confirming Retinal Scan'_, the computer monitor flashed now, as Johnny cringed apprehensively; he'd been so distracted by the robotic hat remover that he'd forgotten to close his eyes. _I am so dead..._

_'Retinal Scan Confirmed,'_ the computer screen flashed a moment later. _'Access Granted.'_

_What?_ Johnny blinked in surprise as the top-secret files suddenly became accessible. _I passed Darth Vader's retinal scan?_ He shuddered at the thought. _I guess he doesn't have retinas,_ Johnny deduced, sighing. _Well that's not much of a security measure, _he confessed, accessing the confidential files and inserting his datachip_. I suppose that's why General Willard didn't bother mentioning it to me. T__hough he might have at least warned me about it,_ Johnny frowned indignantly. _I almost had a heart attack there._

He began copying the top-secret files onto his datachip; then he looked up at the ceiling, realizing he should get his hat back. _I really don't understand what that's supposed to do_, Johnny admitted, climbing up onto Vader's desk and extracting his cap from the robotic arm. _Give me my hat back, you stupid thing,_ he scowled, putting it back on his head and carefully tucking his hair up inside.

_Okay; all done,_ Johnny noted with relief, removing the datachip and putting it back in his pocket. _Now I just have to get out of here,_ he thought, heading for the doorway to make his escape. "Thanks; I'm all finished," he told the guard, with a polite nod.

_That really wasn't so bad,_ Johnny thought, heading back toward the docking bay. _And it only took about ten minutes -_ Suddenly his eyes widened as an alarm sounded throughout the hallways. _"All personnel report immediately to your assigned stations for a mandatory security check,"_ a voice announced._ "We are moving to Red Alert. No one may enter or leave the docking bay without proof of identification."_

_Oh, crap._ Johnny glanced worriedly at his security badge. He may have passed Darth Vader's retinal scan, but he would definitely _not _pass for Imperial Technician Sarn Talnor, the previous - and now deceased - owner of his badge and uniform.

_Damn it; now what?_ Johnny wondered, ducking into an adjacent hallway as twelve Stormtroopers headed his way, their blasters drawn. But as the Stormtroopers marched past, an idea came to him. A _crazy_ idea, he admitted; but one that might just get him out of this mess. Finding the nearest computer console, he entered his secure access code, praying that it hadn't been changed yet.

_Please, let this work,_ Johnny cringed, swiping his security badge. _Okay... Name: John Doe,_ he typed in, deleting the previous technician's name. _Badge Number: TK-421,_ he entered. _Rank: Stormtrooper._ Then, using his stolen override code, he accessed his old personnel file.

_Status: Not dead, _Johnny thought mischievously, updating his employment information. _Pay rate: Five billion - no, I'd better just leave that alone,_ he decided. _Current Assignment...?_ Johnny frowned, deleting the seven transfer records he'd accumulated in just two months of service. _I'm a completely average Stormtrooper, _he decided._ I've been stationed aboard the Devastator for the past two years._

_Okay; n__ow I need a uniform, _Johnny thought, logging off the computer and making his way toward the Stormtrooper barracks. The supply room was empty, since everyone else had been ordered back to their assigned stations; Johnny quickly changed out of his technician's uniform, donning Stormtrooper armor instead.

_Ugh... I forgot how uncomfortable this is,_ he sighed, pulling on his helmet. But it was good to have a blaster again; Johnny set his weapon to stun as he headed back out to the hallway. _All right; time to get out of here, before anyone realizes what's going on._

He returned to docking bay two, and the officer on duty gave him a suspicious look. "You there," he said, waving him over. "Mandatory security check," he informed him. Johnny stood obediently still as the officer examined his badge and performed a quick retinal scan.

"TK-421..." The officer frowned. "Why aren't you at your post?"

Johnny sighed. _Story of my life..._ "Well, you see, I - "

"Wait - you're not assigned to this ship," the officer realized, going over his employment record. "What are you doing here?"

"Special assignment for Lord Vader," Johnny said, showing the officer his security clearance; but now he blinked in alarm as he saw two other officers boarding his stolen shuttle on the other side of the docking bay, along with several Stormtroopers. _Crap, they're onto me already..._

"For Lord Vader?" the officer repeated, his brows furrowing in suspicion. _Yeah, _Johnny sighed glumly._ I'm dead._ "Oh," the officer exclaimed, as if suddenly understanding. "You're one of the new transfers, for the Endor project."

Johnny blinked. _What Endor project?_ "Right," he told the officer, nodding. "That's me."

"You want to go to docking bay three," the officer informed him. "You'd better hurry; your transport is preparing for takeoff."

"All right, thanks," Johnny nodded politely, heading back out to the hallway. _Maybe I can steal a TIE fighter or something,_ he considered, planning his escape. But as he arrived in docking bay three, another officer waved to him urgently.

"You! TK-421," the officer called to him. "You're lucky; Officer Yarris told us to wait for you," he reproached Johnny. "Hurry up. We need to take off," he said curtly, leading the way toward a large transport in the center of the docking bay.

_Crap..._ "Sorry, sir," Johnny apologized. _What the heck is this Endor project?_ he wondered, obediently following the officer. _Well, I guess I'm about to find out_, he sighed ruefully, climbing up the ramp and joining the other Stormtroopers aboard the transport.

A minute later the transport took off from docking bay three, and Johnny's new supervising officer pulled him aside, his expression concerned. "TK-421," the officer said, looking at his records. "I don't show you on my list," he admitted; then he sighed wearily, shaking his head.

"There's something strange going on with the database," the officer told him. "Apparently someone broke into Lord Vader's private office, and downloaded some confidential files. They're in the process of changing all the codes, but everything's a bit messed up at the moment," he apologized to Johnny, updating his records. "There we go; it's all in order now."

Johnny nodded appreciatively. "Okay," he said, trying to act casual. "Thanks."

It was a two-hour journey to Endor, and Johnny did his best to blend in with the other Stormtroopers, not asking any questions that might draw attention to himself. But finally they emerged from hyperspace, and he gaped in alarm as he peered out the window of his transport. _So this is what Vader's been up to,_ he realized, recognizing the giant space station ahead of them. _He's building another Death Star._

_Well now I'm glad I came here,_ Johnny thought, as he followed the other Stormtroopers to their quarters aboard the new Death Star. _I have to warn General Willard about this. _He spent the next several hours gathering whatever information he could about the unfinished space station; but finally he managed to slip away unnoticed, finding a secure transmitter and contacting the Rebel Alliance.

"General Willard, it's Johnny," he said urgently. "You're not going to believe this; Vader is building a new Death Star," he informed him. "It's stationed outside Endor right now - "

"Yes, we just heard about that," General Willard replied; he sounded tired.

Johnny blinked. "You did?"

"Yes," Willard said. "As it turns out, the Emperor's visit to Korriban was a trap," he told Johnny. "And we were wise to avoid it; but unfortunately the Bothans captured the message as well, and walked right into it," General Willard said. "A dozen Star Destroyers emerged from hyperspace the moment they landed. The Bothans were slaughtered," he told Johnny unhappily. "But they did manage to access the Emperor's secret computer files. They sent us the information just a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Johnny said, his heart sinking at the news. _That sounds terrible._

"Come on home, Johnny," General Willard told him. "We're planning our attack on the Death Star now."

Johnny sighed. "Yes, sir," he replied; but then he blinked hesitantly. "Wait," he said. "Let me stay, at least for a little while," he suggested. "Since I'm already here, I may as well - "

"What?" General Willard interrupted him. "You're _there?_ Aboard the Death Star?"

"Yes," Johnny said. "Long story. I've got my old Stormtrooper job back," he told him, with a rueful grin.

"Good Lord," General Willard said, laughing quietly. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Johnny assured him. "For the moment, anyway. I'll see what else I can find out, before we attack. I might be able to sabotage this thing from the inside," he pointed out optimistically.

"All right," Willard said. "Be careful, Captain Doe," he told him. "And keep in touch."

"Okay," Johnny promised. "I will."

* * *

_A week later..._

Vader sighed glumly, walking through the hallways of the new Death Star. He had been stationed here for the past four months, ever since the incident on Bespin. Palpatine had been alarmed by his nearly-successful attempt to take Luke as his Apprentice, and had immediately assigned Vader to this stupid job way out on the edge of the galaxy, where he couldn't cause any more problems.

_He knows Luke and I could overthrow him, if we worked together,_ Vader realized. But that was unlikely to happen now; Vader was no longer in command of the _Executor_, and the task of hunting down the Rebels had been reassigned to Mara Jade.

_She's not doing any better than I ever did, though,_ Vader thought wryly. Mara was currently on Tatooine, working as a scantily-clad dancer in Jabba's palace; she was hoping to catch the Rebels when they showed up to rescue Solo. _My title is in danger,_ he admitted worriedly. In his lifelong endeavor to become the Worst Sith Lord Ever, Vader had never once resorted to exotic dancing to get the job done. _I'd better work harder at this, or she's going to steal my glory. _

But here aboard the Death Star, there was only one thing he could really do, that could help Luke and Leia in their struggle against the Empire._Time for my daily sabotage,_ Vader decided, stepping into the auxiliary control room.

It was a glaring flaw in the Death Star's security plan, which Vader himself had arranged: the auxiliary control room was left completely unguarded, giving him free rein to destroy whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with no one ever noticing.

_Let's see, here,_ Vader thought, looking over the past day's progress. _We could use a short-circuit in the communications system,_ he decided, turning the power way up until the fuses sparked, then broke altogether. _And an unexpected power surge to the superlaser... _He grinned in amusement as he twisted another knob, throwing back production on the Death Star's main weapon for several more days.

_Don't worry, Luke,_ Vader thought with a rueful smile, exiting the auxiliary control room and heading back through the hallway. _This thing will never be finished, as long as I'm around._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_Okay; he's gone,_ Anakin noted, peering out from a hidden alcove as Vader disappeared around a corner. He and Aiel had been on a scouting mission these past few days, and had decided to make a quick stop aboard the Death Star, to see how it was coming along.

The Jedi had been boarding Imperial vessels and conducting spying operations such as this for twenty years now; it was ridiculously easy. They kept a stolen Imperial shuttle on Karfeddion, along with various uniforms, and they had all the security codes they needed to come aboard and do anything they wanted. Anakin was dressed as a Stormtrooper today, and Aiel was waiting in the docking bay in their Lambda-class Imperial shuttle, carefully masking her presence as she awaited his return.

Anakin stepped inside the auxiliary control room now, grateful once again to whatever idiot had decided that it didn't need to be guarded. _All right; what can I mess with today?_ Anakin wondered, looking over the controls. _Wow... Looks like they've got all sorts of problems already,_ he noted, seeing several blown fuses and a complete failure in the superlaser.

_This is what I love about the Imperials,_ Anakin laughed quietly, hunting for something he could wreck. _They do a pretty good job of botching the production on this thing, even without my help._ The weapons and communications system were already in woeful disrepair; Anakin sighed, deciding to cause a malfunction in the Death Star's heating system instead.

_Sorry, guys; it's going to get a little hot around here,_ Anakin thought, re-calibrating the station's thermostat. But at least that would keep the crew busy for a while, and force them to delay their other work for a few hours. _And... Ah, what the heck,_ he decided, activating the sprinkler system on Level Four while he was at it.

_All right, I'd better get out of here,_ Anakin thought uneasily; it was very difficult to sense Vader's presence, since their Force signatures were so similar. It worked to his advantage to some extent, as Vader couldn't sense him _either_; but it made Anakin admittedly nervous, and he strode quickly to the doorway now, exiting the control room.

"Ooof!" came a surprised grunt, as Anakin accidentally plowed into another Stormtrooper around the corner. _Huh?_ Anakin blinked in confusion, surprised that he hadn't felt his presence. _Crap, I have to be more careful._

"Sorry," Anakin apologized with a curt nod, heading back down the hallway toward the docking bay.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Sorry," Johnny said, blinking in surprise at the other Stormtrooper he'd just run into. _One week back on the job, and I'm already turning into a giant klutz again,_ he sighed ruefully.

It was strange; usually Johnny had a sixth sense about these things, and could _feel_ when someone was nearby. _But obviously not this time,_ he admitted with an embarrassed grin, continuing into the auxiliary control room.

He had discovered this room a few days ago. Thanks to an amazingly stupid oversight in the station's security plan, the auxiliary control room was left completely unguarded, allowing anyone to just walk right in and wreck things - which Johnny had been doing on a regular basis these past four days, though he was careful not to do anything that would attract too much attention.

_This station is in rough shape to begin with,_ Johnny admitted, seeing that communications were down, the superlaser was broken, and now there seemed to be a malfunction in the sprinkler system on Level Four. _Maybe I should just hop in a TIE fighter and take out the reactor core right now, _Johnny considered. _Put this thing out of its misery..._ But he shook his head, remembering Mon Mothma's plan.

_The Emperor himself will probably visit one of these days,_ Johnny realized, shuddering at the thought. _And when he does, I'll alert the others, and that's when we'll make our move._

_But until then..._ Johnny grinned mischievously, looking around the control room. _I'll just keep messing things up,_ he decided, rerouting the power from Level Six and causing a burnout on the main bridge.

_Oops,_ Johnny thought with amusement, exiting the auxiliary control room and returning to his post. _Sorry about that._


	19. Vader's new best friend!

**Chapter 19**

_A few weeks later..._

"Lord Vader," Commander Aklan said, emerging from the transport shuttle and joining him near the bunker construction site on the forest moon of Endor. "Moff Jerjerrod wishes to speak with you."

_I'm sure he does__._ "Tell him I'll contact him from the control room," Vader replied, heading toward the shield generator, which was nearly a mile away. "I need to send a secure transmission."

"My Lord, he says it's urgent," Aklan protested. "He says there's a problem with the energy shield - "

"I am aware of the problem," Vader interrupted him. "I will deal with it myself." He turned, hiking resolutely through the forest; but Aklan continued to chase after him.

"My Lord, shouldn't you take a security detail?" the commander pointed out, with an anxious glance at the surrounding trees. "At least a couple of Stormtroopers," he urged him. "There could be Ewoks - "

"Ewoks do not concern me, Commander," Vader said. _I'm a Sith Lord. Does that mean nothing to you?_ "Inform Moff Jerjerrod that I will take care of the problem, and contact him in a few minutes."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Aklan nodded obediently, returning to the shuttle.

Vader sighed, continuing his hike toward the shield generator. He knew exactly what the problem was: the polarity of the energy shield had been reversed again, trapping everyone _inside_ the Death Star, rather than keeping people out. This problem had happened before; but Vader knew how to fix it, since he'd been the one to switch the wires in the first place.

_It's a good excuse to get away for a few minutes,_ he thought, making his way through the forest of Endor._ And I could use the exercise_. His LTWTL had worsened lately, and Vader was alarmed by how weak he had become. _I need to keep my strength up,_ he told himself, trying not to think about his doctor's warning that he had only a few months left to live.

But now his comlink crackled, and Vader sighed in annoyance. _What now?_ "Lord Vader," Commander Aklan said. "The men have found something strange here, by the construction site," he explained. "I think you should have a look."

"Something strange?" Vader repeated. _Can these people figure out NOTHING for themselves?_

"Yes, My Lord," Aklan said. "It appears to be - a basket of kavi fruit."

_Kavi fruit?_ Vader frowned, reaching out with the Force and sensing a quiet but unmistakable presence nearby. _Ewoks..._ "Don't touch it," Vader warned his commander. "I'm on my way."

_It's a trap,_ Vader realized, heading back toward the construction site. Ewoks stood no chance against a Sith Lord, but they were crafty little creatures, and Vader had no doubt that they could outsmart and overpower an entire platoon of Stormtroopers, if they put their minds to it. _They're not happy about this new control bunker we're building,_ Vader sighed. _Sorry, little fellas. This was Jerjerrod's idea, not mine._

But as he arrived at the construction site, he shook his head wearily, noting that his _entire_ team was now gathered around the mysterious fruit basket, staring at it like a bunch of idiots. _What is wrong with you people?_ Vader grumbled, going over to join them.

"Don't eat it," Commander Aklan was warning the others. "It could be poisoned."

_Poison isn't their style,_ Vader knew. _They're more likely to - _he blinked in alarm as the forest suddenly came alive with little furry creatures, whooping and shrieking and slinging rocks from their hiding places amidst the trees._To do THAT,_ Vader realized, ducking for cover as the Ewoks continued to pelt his Stormtroopers with rocks. ___And THAT,_ he noted worriedly, as a dozen logs came tumbling down toward his team.

"Get back to the transport!" Aklan commanded the others. "Prepare for takeoff!"

_No, don't do that,_ Vader sighed; the polarity on the energy shield was reversed, and if they returned to the Death Star they would be trapped aboard with everyone else, with no one left to fix the problem._ All right; fine,_ he grumbled, as his Stormtroopers fled in terror from the onslaught of rocks and logs. _I can fix it myself._

Vader reached a hand out now, using the Force to stop the tumbling logs from plowing into his men; but suddenly he looked up as an enormous battering ram came swinging down at him from the trees, suspended from ropes. He sensed another behind him, and braced himself instinctively, an agonizing pain coursing through his chest as he was crushed between the two heavy logs.

_Ohhhh..._ Vader collapsed to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. _That really hurt..._ He tried to sit up, but the pain was overwhelming, and he clutched a hand to his chestplate, sinking back down amidst the ferns. _Can't... breathe... _He attempted a shallow gasp, but immediately gave up on the effort as his lungs seared in agony. _I'm dying,_ Vader realized, surprised and baffled by this turn of events. A moment later he found himself surrounded by furry creatures, and he closed his eyes in exhaustion, too weak to fight back.

_Killed by Ewoks,_ Vader thought, as the little things pounced on him, stabbing him with their spears. _How embarrassing._

* * *

Johnny looked over at the clearing where Vader had collapsed a moment ago. _Isn't anyone going to help him?_ The other Stormtroopers were fleeing in terror, jumping aboard their transport and leaving their Lord Commander to be eaten by Ewoks. _Come on, guys... Seriously?_

But no one else seemed to notice or care, and so Johnny sighed, breaking away from the group and heading over to help the Sith Lord. _I'm the one guy who SHOULDN'T want to save Vader_, he grumbled in frustration. _So why am I the only one who's trying?_

_Because it's basic human decency,_ he thought indignantly. _I can't just let somebody die like that._ Johnny had read the security memo warning the Stormtroopers of the local threat; he realized that Ewoks could be deadly, and that they considered roasted, barbecued humans a culinary delicacy. But he also knew that they were quite easily dealt with. _I just have to run at them, screaming like a lunatic._

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" Johnny yelled, charging at the furry creatures who were attacking Vader with their spears. The Ewoks fled in panic, and Johnny shot at them with his blaster for good measure, though he was careful to aim well above their heads. _Don't worry, fellas,_ he thought, missing every last one of them. _It's just me: TK-421, the Worst Stormtrooper Ever._

Johnny saw Vader lying on the ground in a pathetic black heap, and hurried to his side. "Sir!" he said. "Sir - My Lord, can you hear me?" Vader made no movement, and Johnny knelt beside him, quickly pulling off his Stormtrooper gloves. He tried to check Vader's pulse, slipping his fingers carefully inside one of his black gauntlets, but blinked as he felt cold metal._ Ah! That's not real,_ he realized, checking the other wrist. _That's not real either... Damn, what did Luke's dad do to this guy?_

He gave up on that attempt, and tried to check Vader's breathing instead. His chestplate was smashed, and severed wires spilled out from it now; his ventilator had stopped working, and Vader was eerily quiet. _Is he dead? _Johnny wondered, blinking in alarm.

_And why do I care?_ Johnny berated himself, remembering that the Rebels had been trying to kill Vader for over twenty years now. _I shouldn't be doing this_, he realized. _His own people should be helping him,_ he thought, frowning in disapproval. _But they're not... _Sighing, he pulled out his comlink.

"This is TK-421, requesting urgent assistance," Johnny announced, over the short-range communicator. "Lord Vader is injured, and needs immediate medical care. Come in... Anyone?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the bunker construction site. But no one was there; they had all taken off in their transport, leaving Vader and Johnny alone on the forest moon._Typical..._ He peered worriedly at Vader's broken chestplate. ___Well __I guess it's up to me, _he sighed, trying to make sense of the mass of severed wires.___I can't just leave him here like this._

_He saved my life once,_ Johnny admitted, remembering how Vader - in an inexplicable moment of leniency - had given him a second chance, assigning him the task of hiding the tracking device aboard the _Millennium Falcon,_ after he had lost the droids they were looking for. _I would have died aboard the first Death Star, if it wasn't for him._

But Johnny could see now that Vader's chestplate was irreparably damaged. It wasn't just severed wires; the circuit boards and switches were smashed beyond all hope, and Johnny's heart sank as he realized the truth. _Crap... I think he's dead._

* * *

Vader blinked in surprise at the Stormtrooper who knelt beside him. _I'm not dead?_ His unexpected rescuer had chased the Ewoks away, and was now working desperately to repair his broken chestplate.

_I'm all right,_ Vader wanted to say; but he was too weak, and the words would not come. His chest hurt terribly, and he lay very still now, quietly assessing the damage. _I don't think anything's broken._ He had used the Force to brace himself from the battering rams, and aside from the shock of the impact, he hadn't suffered any broken bones or bleeding.

His mechanical parts had taken quite a beating, though, and his ventilator wasn't working. But Vader didn't need it for life support, and he breathed quietly on his own now, taking careful, shallow breaths as the pain in his chest gradually subsided. _Yes; I think I'm okay._

But this Stormtrooper didn't realize any of that; Vader could sense his profound regret as he knelt beside him, still trying to do something about his broken chestplate. _H__e thinks I'm dead,_ Vader realized, surprised by the Stormtrooper's emotional reaction. _And he... cares?_ Vader rarely sensed feelings of compassion or concern toward him, and lay still for a moment, basking in the strange sensation.

_He's worried,_ Vader sensed. _And he feels guilty, for not being able to save me; though he's the only one who tried,_ Vader admitted, touched by the Stormtrooper's courageous act. But there was something else about this man. _He's completely selfless,_ Vader noted. He could feel his dismay and sorrow, but could not sense the man's presence itself. _Strange..._

"Leave it," Vader breathed weakly, with a dismissive gesture toward his broken chestplate. His voice came out sounding deep and robotic; the vocal modulator inside his helmet was undamaged, though his chestplate was destroyed.

He could sense the Stormtrooper's surprise and alarm. "Sir," he said, startled. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." _I think..._ Vader managed to sit up a bit, leaning his back against a tree. His right arm wasn't functioning properly, and he still felt a terrible pain in his chest; but aside from that he seemed to be relatively unhurt.

"Just hold on, sir," the Stormtrooper reassured him. "A rescue team will come soon."

Vader turned his gaze toward the bunker construction site. "The others returned to the Death Star?"

"Yes, My Lord," the Stormtrooper apologized. "I'm sure they'll send help."

"No," Vader said tiredly. "They won't. The energy shield has been reversed," he told his rescuer. "It's trapping everyone aboard the Death Star. I must get to the shield generator, to fix it." He struggled to stand up; the Stormtrooper moved as if to help him, but Vader waved a hand wearily at him, managing it on his own.

"Sir... are you all right?" the Stormtrooper asked, as Vader reeled dizzily for a moment, cobwebs filling his vision.

"Yes," Vader assured him, taking a faltering step toward his destination. _It's just a little pain,_ he told himself, continuing resolutely toward the shield generator, which was nearly a mile away. _I can do this. _But he didn't make it very far before he needed to rest again, and he sat on a fallen log, clutching his one good hand to his aching chest.

"My Lord?" the Stormtrooper asked hesitantly; again, Vader could feel his profound concern.

"I need to rest for a moment," Vader told him, peering at the severed wires which spilled out from his broken chestplate. _I have grown dependent on the ventilator,_ he admitted; even a short hike without oxygen was beyond his capability now. _This LTWTL is finally getting to me. _Of course, he _had_ just been crushed between two enormous battering rams, with a blow that would have killed any other mortal; still, Vader was troubled and alarmed by the crippling weakness he now felt in his chest. He cautiously pulled back the severed wires now, trying to see if his ventilator could be fixed.

The Stormtrooper saw his intent, and knelt down, examining his broken chestplate. "The circuit boards and switches are broken," he told him. "There's nothing we can do about it right now. Are you able to breathe without it?" he asked gently.

"Yes," Vader assured him. "But I will need to rest often." He pulled up the sleeve of his right arm, trying to see why it wasn't working; a mass of wires had come detached at the elbow, and the Stormtrooper quietly set to work, reattaching them again. "Thank you," Vader said, impressed by the man's skill.

"You're welcome," the Stormtrooper said; but he gazed worriedly toward the shield generator, which was still nearly a mile off. "Can you make it a little farther, sir?"

Vader still felt a grievous pain in his chest, but nodded, managing to get to his feet again. _One step at a time... I can do this._ But it wasn't long before he succumbed to exhaustion once again, sinking weakly to the ground and leaning back against a moss-covered stump. There was a quiet stream nearby, with birds chirping in a kavi tree; it was as good a place to rest as any.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" The Stormtrooper glanced at the stream, and the fruit-laden kavi tree. "Are you hungry, or thirsty?"

"No," Vader lied. In truth, he had missed lunch, and was feeling rather light-headed, and dizzy. He still had nearly a mile-long hike ahead of him, and food would certainly help. But to eat, he would have to remove his helmet; it was one thing to allow this Stormtrooper to see his broken mechanical parts, but his face was something else entirely. "You go ahead," Vader offered weakly, gesturing toward the fruit tree.

"No thanks, I'm all right," the Stormtrooper replied.

Vader gazed at him, curious. _Who is this man?_ He was still surprised by his rescuer's complete lack of a Force presence; the feelings of compassion and concern that emanated from him were selfless and pure, uncomplicated by his own personal signature. "No... Please," Vader insisted, using a subtle Force command. "You're hungry."

"I'm hungry," the Stormtrooper agreed obediently, walking over to the fruit tree. He pulled off his helmet, and Vader caught a glimpse of shaggy, golden-brown hair. _He's just a kid,_ he realized, smiling in amusement. Imperial officers were expected to maintain proper short haircuts, but there was no such regulation for Stormtroopers. _He reminds me of myself at that age._

The young man picked a kavi fruit off the tree, then returned to the clearing where Vader was resting, taking a bite as he sat down. He gave Vader a somewhat apologetic glance; he had dark blue eyes, and - Vader gasped in shock as recognition hit. _Of all the people in the galaxy... It's HIM? _Vader stared in disbelief at the young man sitting before him. _He's a Stormtrooper now? __I always assumed he'd be in some type of mental institution.._. Vader had tried not to think about his clone these past four years; but now he gazed at him in wonder.

_Well this explains why I can't sense his presence,_ Vader realized. _He's me._ Then he sighed, realizing the irony of the situation. _All the other Stormtroopers ran off,_ he admitted. _And the one person in this galaxy who gives a damn about me... turns out to be myself._

His clone had been obediently munching on his kavi fruit, but blinked at it uncertainly now, as if suddenly wondering _why_ he was having a snack in the forest, in front of Darth Vader. His brows furrowed, and he gazed self-consciously toward the stream, avoiding Vader's intense stare. _Did I EVER look like that?_ Vader wondered; it had been such a long time since he'd looked _human_, let alone young. But he realized he was making the boy nervous, so he spoke now, curious to learn more about him.

"What is your name?" Vader asked quietly.

"TK-421, sir," his clone replied, with a wary glance.

"No... Your real name."

The young man looked down uncomfortably. "John Doe." _John Doe?_ Vader was unable to suppress a laugh; but thanks to his vocal modulator, it came out sounding like a robotic coughing noise. _Sorry..._ But apparently his clone was used to such reactions, and shrugged indifferently. "My friends call me Johnny."

_Johnny..._ Vader blinked, realizing what he'd just implied. "Friends," he repeated. _He wants to be my friend?_ It had been so long since he'd had a friend; Vader suddenly felt tears in his eyes, and a lump in his throat. But then he scowled. _No; he didn't actually SAY that, _he reproached himself. _Don't jump to conclusions. _"You have... friends?" Vader asked, not wanting to appear too needy.

Johnny's brows furrowed, and he frowned uncertainly. _I know that look,_ Vader sighed. _That's my old 'what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-and-is-this-a-trick-question' look._ "Yes," Johnny admitted cautiously. "I mean - just the other Stormtroopers," he said. "We're not really all that close."

_He thinks this is an interrogation,_ Vader realized, sensing the boy's extreme discomfort. _I don't mean to frighten him; I'm just curious._ "Forgive me," he apologized, trying to put him at ease. "I don't often speak with... people." Vader's brows furrowed as he realized how idiotic that sounded.

"It's all right," Johnny replied, giving him a confused look.

_Great; now he thinks I'm pathetic,_ Vader sensed. _And a monster... A pathetic__ monster - with no friends,_ he sighed unhappily. _Gah, let's change the subject. _"How long have you been a Stormtrooper?"

Johnny looked stubbornly at the ground. "Two years, sir."

_Two years..._ "And before that?" Vader asked.

"I... I'm from Coruscant, sir."

_Right where I left you._ He could sense the boy's unhappiness at this line of questioning, and backed off. _I know what he's trying to avoid telling me,_ Vader sighed. _He remembers nothing of his life before Coruscant. _"So - Johnny," Vader said, tactfully changing the subject. "What made you decide to become a Stormtrooper?"

Johnny blinked. "Um... to see the galaxy, sir," he replied hesitantly. "To travel... To - embark on an exciting adventure," he added. _Good Lord; he's quoting from the recruitment bulletin._ "To protect and serve," Johnny continued; his expression was reasonably neutral, but Vader could sense the poor boy was mortified on the inside. "To boldly go - "

_This is why I have no friends_, Vader realized, as Johnny cringed in apology, looking away from him. _People turn into groveling fools in my presence._

"I'm sorry, sir," Johnny apologized. "I'm just... nervous," he admitted. "I don't often speak with..." He looked down, not finishing that sentence. "Forgive me, My Lord."

"There is nothing to forgive," Vader said quietly. _You saved my life._ "You do your job well. I am grateful for your assistance."

Johnny nodded in appreciation; then he cast an anxious glance toward the shield generator. "My Lord, should we - ?" he asked, eager to be finished with this conversation.

"Yes; we should," Vader agreed, struggling to his feet again. _Though I'm not sure I feel up to it..._ He stumbled, and the world spun in circles, as his vision faded to black. Steady hands caught him, lowering him gently to the ground.

"Sir... Are you all right?" Johnny asked, peering at him with concern.

Vader blinked as he caught his breath, his chest searing with pain. "I don't - think... I can make it," he confessed in exhaustion.

"I don't think so either," Johnny agreed gently. "Hold on; I can carry you," he assured him, turning to collect his helmet, gloves, and blaster.

"No," Vader stopped him. _The day I have to be carried is the day I die._ "I just need - to rest," he said, as Johnny turned back toward him, a worried look in his eyes. _Maybe this is it,_ Vader realized, feeling terribly weak. The doctors had estimated he still had a few months left; but that was before he had been crushed by a gigantic Ewok battering ram. _I'm dying..._ Tears filled his eyes as he realized this was truly the end.

"Just take it easy, sir," Johnny said, kneeling beside him and putting a hand on his shoulder. _He knows,_ Vader sensed, feeling the boy's dismay and compassion once again. _He's Force-sensitive; he can feel that I have no strength left._ "Is there anything I can do for you?" Johnny asked, his blue eyes filled with regret.

"No," Vader breathed weakly, closing his eyes. _I'm dying,_ he knew for certain now; but he smiled, listening to the sound of the birds chirping in the trees, and the quiet stream nearby. _But I have been given one last kindness_. "This is a beautiful place," Vader remarked, opening his eyes and gazing appreciatively at the lush forest. _A fitting place to die._

"Yes, it is," Johnny said; his tone was gentle and reassuring, but Vader could sense his grief. _He was sent to me, in my final moment_, Vader realized. _So I would not die alone; so I could feel human companionship one last time, before the end._ "I've never so many shades of green, all in one place," Johnny confessed, with a shy smile.

_That sounds nice,_ Vader thought; his own helmet tended to distort colors, and it all looked rather dark and shadowy to him. _Do I dare?_ he wondered, feeling a sudden desire to see the green forest for himself. He wasn't worried that Johnny would recognize him; his scarred face had grown freakishly pale and misshapen over the years, and Vader knew that he bore absolutely no resemblance to the boy who knelt beside him now. For he _had_ decided to spare Johnny the knowledge of his origins, realizing that his clone was happier not knowing the truth.

_He won't recognize me_, Vader knew. _And he won't be frightened, either,_ he predicted; Johnny seemed like a brave kid, and had single-handedly scared off an entire tribe of Ewoks. Besides, Vader had long suspected that he was more frightening _with_ his mask, than without it. _If people knew who I really was, they wouldn't fear me the way they do._ Which was of course the whole point of his armored suit; but Vader didn't want Johnny to be afraid of him. _I want him to see that I'm human,_ Vader confessed. _And before I die... I want to feel alive again, just one last time_. "I want to see it, with my own eyes," Vader said hesitantly, reaching for his helmet.

Johnny blinked, startled. "Sir?" He stared at him for a moment, then looked away uncomfortably. Vader felt a sudden, painful stab of anxiety in his weakened heart as he removed his helmet; but he stubbornly ignored it. _I've spent a lifetime hiding behind the safety of this mask,_ he confessed. _But I'm done with that,_ he resolved, pulling it off. _Now, in the end, I want someone to see me, for who I really am. Not a monster; not a machine,_ Vader thought bravely. _I'm a person, and my name is - _Tears sprang to his eyes, and his heart ached painfully at the thought. _N__o... it isn't,_ he admitted, closing his eyes in shame. _It hasn't been, for a very long time._

"Sir?" Vader opened his eyes to see Johnny peering at him worriedly. "Are you all right?"

_No, I'm not._ Vader smiled weakly, touched by the boy's compassion. "Would you please - stop asking me that?" he rasped; without his vocal modulator, his voice sounded feeble and shaky.

Johnny managed an apologetic smile. "Sorry," he said. "Just - let me know if I can get you anything," he added, gesturing toward the stream. "Water... Kavi fruit?"

Vader laughed quietly, then coughed painfully from the effort. "It is too late - for that," he said. _I'm dying, Johnny. But I'm so glad you're here._ "You were right," Vader breathed, looking around the clearing at the lush forest surrounding them. "It's beautiful." He smiled, gazing at the thousand shades of green, shimmering in the golden afternoon sunlight.

Johnny returned his smile, and Vader felt a warmth in his heart that he had been missing for far too long. _Well now I don't want to die,_ Vader confessed, realizing the cruel irony. _He makes me want to live._ But that was the heartbreaking reality of LTWTL; its victims usually had a strong passion for life, and families who loved them. _Perhaps I could recover, at least a little?_ Vader wondered; the doctors had assured him that he had at least a few months left, to get his affairs in order. _I should like to spend some more time with Johnny,_ he admitted wistfully; but then he sighed, realizing the truth.

_I__ don't want to spend my final months in a hospital bed, listening to some droid yelling 'Oobaa, Oobaa' at me all day long._ Vader had come to know that sound all too well, as it was the official interplanetary medical term for LTWTL. He had angrily decimated at least six dozen medical droids over the past four years; but it was of no use. The doctors just kept ordering more, to torment him endlessly with their useless diagnoses. _But never again,_ Vader resolved. _I refuse to die in a medical ward. I__'d rather die right here._

But he realized it could take some time. _Hours, if not days..._ Vader sighed, remembering that his entire crew was still trapped aboard the Death Star, thanks to his brilliant act of sabotage earlier this morning. _But Johnny can fix that, easily enough_. "Johnny," he said weakly, as the boy gave him a curious look. "The polarity of the energy shield has been reversed," he explained, shifting his position uncomfortably. "I need you - to switch the wires."

"I can do that," Johnny assured him confidently, getting up to collect his things. "But you're coming with me," he insisted. "I can't leave you here; it isn't safe."

"No. Leave me," Vader said, raising a hand in protest. "TK-421, that is an order," he added sternly. "But I have one last request."

Johnny blinked unhappily, then bowed his head. "Yes, My Lord," he said quietly. "What is it?"

Vader remembered the last time he'd said goodbye to Johnny, back at the cloning facility on Coruscant. "Live a better life than I have," he implored his clone once again, gazing up at him with profound regret. _Shouldn't be too hard to do._

Johnny's brows furrowed in confusion. "Sir?" he asked; apparently it wasn't the sort of dying wish he had been expecting.

"Oh," Vader said, recalling his final words that night. "And be happy," he added, with a tender smile.

"Sir," Johnny protested, frowning. "That's _two_ requests," he pointed out. "Plus - switching the wires," he reminded Vader, gesturing toward the shield generator. "That's three." He shook his head in stubborn refusal. "No," Johnny said, kneeling down beside him again. "You're coming with me. Here; put this back on," he said gently, helping Vader with his face mask.

_What?_ Vader blinked; in twenty-one years he had never encountered such blatant disregard for orders. _He really IS my clone..._ "Gah! No," Vader sputtered, pulling off his face mask again and giving his clone a reproachful look. "TK-421, I gave you an order." _I'm dying here. Show a little respect._

"Yeah... Fire me," Johnny muttered, pulling on his own Stormtrooper gloves. "You want to put your armor back on, or not?" he asked, gesturing to Vader's helmet and mask again. "Either way, you're coming with me," he warned him, putting on his own Stormtrooper helmet and picking up his blaster. "I'm not going to leave you here."

_He is a stubborn one,_ Vader realized with amusement. _But he can't win a fight against me._ "You _will_ leave me here," Vader informed him, waving his fingers.

Johnny had been preparing to hoist Vader over his shoulder and carry him, but he stopped now. "Oh," he said uncertainly, straightening up.

"You will go to the shield generator, and switch the wires to reverse the polarity," Vader continued, with a wave of his hand.

"I will go to the shield generator, and switch the wires to reverse the polarity," Johnny repeated; and with a final respectful nod to Vader, he turned, marching obediently off into the forest.

Vader sighed, gazing after Johnny until he disappeared amidst the trees. _Not the best goodbye ever,_ he admitted glumly. His heart ached as he found himself alone in the galaxy, once again. _But at least I can die with dignity,_ he consoled himself, gazing at his surroundings. It was a beautiful place to die; Vader closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the chirping of the birds and the quiet babbling of the stream nearby. He felt the warm sun on his face, touched by a gentle breeze; he smiled, breathing in the fresh pine air, mixed with a faint scent of kavi fruit from the nearby tree.

_This is it,_ Vader realized. _I'm dying._ He opened his eyes again, gazing in wonder at the thousand shades of green throughout the forest, rippling and shimmering in the sunlight._ I had hoped to do more,_ he admitted. _For Luke, and Leia..._ Tears filled his eyes as he thought of his children. _I love them both so much,_ he confessed, with a tender smile._ But I have no strength left in me._ He rested weakly against the mossy stump, gazing at the lush forest through tear-blurred vision. _This is the end..._

Presently a white figure appeared before him, and Vader smiled in teary-eyed disbelief. _It's an angel,_ he knew. He had heard the deep space pilots talk about them as a boy; they lived on the moons of Iego. _And apparently the moons of Endor as well,_ Vader realized now, overwhelmed with joy. _Ohh... It's beautiful... _He wished he could see it more clearly, but his vision was hopelessly blurred by tears.

"I know what you did," the angel told him; its voice was stern.

"I'm sorry," Vader choked helplessly; he knew that no apology could possibly atone for the atrocities he had committed in his lifetime. "Please," he begged, gazing up at the shimmering white figure through tear-filled eyes. "Forgive me."

"All right," the angel said grudgingly. "But don't do it again," he reproached him._ I won't; I promise..._ "Come on," the angel said, getting down on one knee and hoisting Vader over his shoulder. "You're coming with me." He picked up Vader's helmet and face mask in his other hand, and then marched off into the forest.

_Well this isn't quite what I expected,_ Vader confessed; he hadn't given it a whole lot of thought, but somehow he'd assumed that the journey to the afterlife would involve floating, rather than this constant jostling and bouncing. "Where are you taking me?" he asked; the Jedi had taught him that people transform into the Force when they die, but this was evidently very different.

"To the shield generator," the angel informed him, still trudging through the forest with Vader slung over his shoulder.

_The shield generator?_ Vader frowned; then he blinked his tears away, getting a clearer look at the angel. _Wait a minute..._ "Nooooo," he protested. _God damn it, it's Johnny._ "Put me down," he ordered his clone grumpily. _I don't want to go to the shield generator; I want to visit the angels._

"No," Johnny replied, continuing on his course.

"Yes," Vader retorted, waving his fingers. _Gah, I can't do it upside-down..._ "You will take me back to the clearing." _So the REAL angel can come for me..._

"No," Johnny said again, marching on resolutely. "I won't."

"Stop," Vader commanded him; it was uncomfortable to be hanging upside-down over his shoulder, not to mention undignified.

"No."

"Stop!" Vader tried again, waving a hand at him.

"No."

_We could be at this all day.._. Then he blinked in alarm, seeing a bit of rope hidden amidst the leaves on the ground. _Not good..._ "Stop!" he warned Johnny.

"No," Johnny refused again, forging ahead; and suddenly they found themselves caught in a giant net, hanging from a tree.

"Nice job," Vader grumbled, reaching for his lightsaber.

"Sorry, I didn't - ooof," Johnny grunted, as they fell to the ground again.

_Ouch..._ Vader clutched a hand to his chest, retracting his red lightsaber. Then he blinked as several small, furry creatures closed in on them, brandishing their spears._ Terrific. This again..._

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Johnny yelled, instantly getting to his feet and grabbing his blaster, shooting laser fire in all directions. _He's a true Stormtrooper,_ Vader thought wryly, noting that Johnny hadn't managed to hit a single one of them. _But I can't miss out on this,_ he decided, getting painfully to his feet and igniting his red lightsaber. _I haven't __been in a fight like this since - way too long,_ Vader admitted, twirling his lightsaber around in an impressive show of aggression.

The Ewoks fled in terror, and Vader stumbled, reeling from the effort. "Sir - are you all right?" Johnny asked for the hundredth time, catching his fall and lowering him gently to the ground.

"Yes," Vader gasped, clutching at his chest. _I think..._

"Good," Johnny replied, hefting him over his shoulder again. "Come on," he said, continuing toward the shield generator.

_Unbelievable..._ Vader blinked, still out of breath from the exertion, his chest pounding cruelly. _Johnny, have mercy on a poor dying man._ But he smiled despite the pain, touched by his clone's stubborn devotion. _I'm dying,_ Vader admitted, knowing that there was no way to beat LTWTL. _But apparently not today,_ he realized with amusement, as they finally arrived at the shield generator.

"Here we are, sir," Johnny said, easing him carefully into a chair inside the control room. "Are you all right?"

_Yes. Again._ "I asked you to stop saying that," Vader reminded him.

Johnny pulled off his Stormtrooper helmet. "You ask me too many things," he said, giving Vader a reproachful look as he turned to the control panel, trying to ascertain the problem. "Ah, there we go," he said a moment later, switching the wires to reverse the polarity; then he walked over to the long-range transmitter. "TK-421 to base," he announced to the Death Star operator. "I'm at the shield generator control room. The problem has been fixed; Lord Vader is with me."

"TK-421, stay where you are," the operator replied. "We're sending a shuttle out immediately."

"Thank you," Johnny sighed, ending the transmission. He turned back to Vader, then frowned, seeing his obvious amusement. "What?"

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

Johnny scowled. "No." But then he sighed, shaking his head. "All right."

"When we get back," Vader said, glancing toward the Death Star beyond the forest moon. "Would you consider joining my personal security team?" _Because if I am to get through these next few months, I'm going to need you around._

Johnny saw his pleading look, and bowed his head, nodding quietly. "Of course, sir," he told him, managing a smile. "It would be an honor."

"Thank you." Vader gave him a look of sincere gratitude. "For everything."

"No problem," Johnny told him. "Here," he added gently, helping Vader with his face mask and helmet. "The shuttle will be here soon."

_He gives me the strength to go on,_ Vader confessed, feeling a newfound sense of hope. _And so I will keep fighting this, as long as I possibly can; f__or Luke and Leia's sake._ Vader's heart ached as he thought of his children. _I had hoped that Luke and I might become close,_ he admitted, with a sad smile. _But the Force sent me Johnny instead._

_He's a bit of a handful,_ Vader realized, watching quietly from behind his mask as Johnny pulled his Stormtrooper helmet back on. _But I've been so lonely,_ he confessed; he hadn't had a friend in over twenty years. _And if the only person who can stand my company is my own clone... _Vader sighed in weary amusement._ Then so be it,_ he accepted. _I'll take what I can get._

* * *

_The next day..._

"Your lack of progress disturbs me, Commander," Vader said, turning from the window of the Death Star's command bridge.

"But My Lord," Commander Aklan protested. "The Ewoks - "

"I expect that control bunker to be finished in three weeks' time." Vader pointed a threatening finger at him. "Do not fail me again."

Aklan blinked unhappily, but nodded. "Yes, My Lord," he replied.

_Well he's back to his usual grumpy self,_ Johnny noted, impressed by the Sith Lord's resilience. _I thought he was done for, back on Endor._ Vader had spent the night in the Death Star's medical ward, but had gotten right back to work this morning, as if nothing had happened.

Johnny had been following Vader everywhere today, as the newest member of his security team. But the Sith Lord had not so much as glanced in his direction, nor had he told anyone what had happened yesterday. _Just as well,_ Johnny thought; he didn't wish to draw unnecessary attention to himself. There had been no thanks, no medal of bravery, no recognition whatsoever; just a new assignment, and another - rather boring - day on the job. _It's weird; I got the sense that he - cared about me,_ Johnny admitted, puzzled. _But I guess not..._

_Which is a good thing,_ Johnny reminded himself. _I'm here to spy on him, not be his friend._ He realized it would be harder to carry out his acts of sabotage, or contact the Rebel Alliance, now that he was right under Vader's nose all day long. But his shift was nearly over; Johnny planned to sneak away just before dinner, and let General Willard know...

_Let him know what?_ Johnny wondered, blinking. _That I saved Darth Vader's life? The guy we've been trying to kill for twenty years?_ They would have only a minute to talk, and that conversation would take quite a bit of explaining.

_I couldn't just let him die,_ Johnny thought unhappily. _I saw his eyes..._ Vader's face had been a scarred wreck, but his blue eyes were unmistakable. _He's Luke's father,_ Johnny realized now, without a doubt. And it wasn't just the eyes; there was something undeniably familiar about Vader. Johnny could _feel_ it.

_It's strange; I didn't think he HAD eyes,_ Johnny admitted, recalling that he'd passed Vader's retinal scan in his office aboard the _Executor._ But the entire computer system had been messed up that day; Johnny cringed, realizing that it was just by sheer dumb luck that he hadn't been caught.

But now he sighed, glancing at Vader. _What am I going to tell Luke?_ The boy idolized his father, and had been devastated by the idea that he might have fallen to the Dark side. Johnny had tried to reassure him that his dad was a hero, and that he'd just imagined Vader's words to him in Cloud City; but now he realized the truth. _That's not going to be an easy conversation either,_ Johnny confessed, realizing he couldn't simply blurt it out during the brief transmissions he managed to send to the Rebels. _And I'm not sure Luke even wants to know._

_Besides, we need to KILL Vader,_ Johnny admitted, remembering that he was a Sith Lord, and the second most powerful enemy of the Rebel Alliance. _And Luke will probably be the one to do it,_ Johnny knew. _If I tell him the truth... _He sighed, realizing that was a bad idea._ I sure as hell couldn't kill him, knowing who he really is._

_Okay; so I'll tell him after Vader's dead... Maybe?_ Johnny considered. _No, that's even worse,_ he confessed unhappily. _I can't tell Luke - EVER,_ Johnny realized, casting a regretful glance in Vader's direction. _I'll take this secret to the grave._

A few minutes later Johnny's shift was over, and he took his leave, heading through the Death Star's hallway and preparing to contact General Willard. But suddenly he felt an invisible Force tugging at him from behind, urging him to slow down. _Crap, I hate when he does that..._ "Yes, My Lord?" Johnny said, as Vader caught up with him.

"TK-421," Vader began; but then he paused awkwardly. _Koooohhh... Koooohhh... Koooohhh..._

"Sir?"

"I was wondering... if you would like to have dinner with me," Vader said, his voice low and robotic.

Johnny blinked uncertainly. _Did I just get asked out by a Sith Lord? Um..._ "Yes, of course," he replied. "Thank you, sir." _I'm supposed to spy on him anyway,_ Johnny admitted, following Vader through the hallway toward his private quarters. _Maybe I'll find out something interesting, now that we're dating._ But he sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt. _He's lonely,_ Johnny knew; he had seen the pleading look in Vader's eyes back on Endor, when he had asked Johnny to join his personal security team. _He thinks I'm his new best friend; when actually I'm his worst enemy. _

But Johnny forced his guilt aside as they arrived at Vader's quarters, realizing that the Sith Lord could sense his feelings. _My job right now is to be a faithful Stormtrooper, and Vader's loyal friend,_ he told himself, steeling his resolve. _The Rebels are plotting to kill him; but I will show him kindness and decency, in the time that he has left._

"Please, come in," Vader said, using the Force to open the door to his private quarters. Johnny obediently went inside, and Vader followed, closing the door behind them. "What would you like for dinner?" he asked Johnny, pressing a button on his transmitter.

Johnny blinked. _Um..._

"Officer's lounge - yes, Lord Vader," the waiter answered. "What can I get for you this evening?"

"Bantha steak, with mashed tubers and vegetables," Vader ordered for himself. "And...?" he gestured questioningly at Johnny.

"Uh - yeah, that's my favorite too," Johnny confessed, surprised. _Who would have thought; we actually have something in common._

"Make that two," Vader told the waiter.

"Yes, My Lord; we'll bring that to you right away."

"Thank you." Vader turned to his dinner table, surveying the clutter of electrical parts and other random things that covered every usable surface. "Sorry; I usually eat in front of the Holo," he apologized, as he began to clear away the mess.

"No, leave it," Johnny told him, surprised to see modeling supplies amidst the clutter. _Arts and crafts? Cool..._ He peered curiously at the antique fighter ships that Vader was building: one was painted yellow, and the other red, complete with little astrodroids. _Hey..._ Johnny blinked, recognizing the triangular design. "Are those - Jedi Starfighters?"

Vader turned his masked gaze toward the model ships. _Kooooohhh... Kooooohhh... _"No," he replied emphatically.

"Oh." Johnny cringed from behind his Stormtrooper helmet. "Sorry."

_Koooooohhh..._ "Do you like to watch pod racing?" Vader asked, changing the subject.

"Sure," Johnny agreed, following him over to the couch.

Vader turned on the HoloNet monitor, flipping through the channels; but a moment later the doorbell buzzed, and he got up to receive their delivery. "There's Jawa juice in the refrigerator," he told Johnny, bringing their dinner over to the small table in front of the couch.

"Okay," Johnny said, going to the kitchen area and getting two cans of Jawa juice. He returned to the living room to find Vader switching off his ventilator, then proceeding to remove his helmet. _Um, right._ Johnny took off his own Stormtrooper helmet and gloves, then sat quietly on the couch, trying not to stare. It took Vader a few moments longer to remove his face mask, then the breathing apparatus that covered his mouth; but finally he was done, and took a seat beside Johnny.

"Have I made you lose your appetite?" Vader asked, his voice faltering weakly.

Johnny gave him a reassuring smile. "No," he insisted, taking a bite of his dinner. "It's delicious; really," he told Vader sincerely. "Way better than the crap they give us in the Stormtrooper barracks," he added; then he frowned worriedly. "I mean - " _Gah..._

Vader grinned, taking a bite of his own dinner. "So, who's your favorite?" he asked, glancing toward the Holo, as the pod racers lined up to begin their race.

"I don't know; I don't watch it very much," Johnny confessed, peering at the lineup. "Sebulba," he said, recognizing one of the more famous contestants. "I've heard of him."

Vader furrowed his bald brows disapprovingly. "He cheats."

"Ah; sorry," Johnny apologized. "Um, how about Quadinaros?" he asked. "How's he?"

"Terrible." Vader laughed quietly. "But let's root for him anyway."

"Okay," Johnny agreed, returning his amused smile.

_I would never have guessed that Darth Vader was like this,_ Johnny confessed, as they ate their dinner together._ Everyone's terrified of him; but he's just a lonely old guy, who likes to watch pod racing. _It was difficult to guess Vader's age, but Johnny estimated he was about a billion years old; there was an extreme tiredness about him, and his voice faltered terribly. Inside his armored suit, Vader was a powerful and formidable presence; it was almost sad to see him like this, so feeble and decrepit.

_I know I shouldn't be friends with him. I__ shouldn't have saved him to begin with,_ Johnny realized, feeling a twinge of guilt for not telling the Rebels about any of this. _But he's Luke's dad; I couldn't just let him die__._ Johnny glanced at him now, seeing the spark of child-like fascination in his familiar blue eyes as he watched the pod race. _I wish Luke could see him the way I do._ Vader caught his look, and they shared a somewhat awkward, self-conscious smile.

_I can't help it,_ Johnny admitted, cutting off another bite of his Bantha steak. _Aside from being a Sith Lord, I kind of like the guy._


	20. The Rebels rescue Han

**Chapter 20**

_Seven months later..._

"Of course I'm worried," Threepio said, as he and Artoo approached Jabba's palace. "And you should be too. Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca never returned from this awful place."

_Sure; whatever you say,_ Artoo sighed. In truth, Chewbacca had been staying with them on Selvaris this past year; but Luke had just replaced Threepio's memory chip for today's mission, and he understood very little of what was going on. _Which is probably for the best._ "It's okay," Artoo reassured him. "Just stay close to me, and you'll be fine."

"Don't be so sure," Threepio retorted. "If I told you half the things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt, you'd probably short-circuit." _Yeah, yeah._ Artoo had actually seen Jabba before - many years ago, at Anakin's pod race; he wasn't all that scary. "Artoo, are you sure this is the right place?"

_Uh... Do you see any OTHER Hutt palaces around here?_ "Yes, I'm sure."

"I'd better knock, I suppose." Threepio decided, tapping on the heavy durasteel gate. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here," he said quickly. "Let's go back and tell Master Luke."

"No," Artoo said. "We're supposed to go inside." _This is Plan A._

A small hatch opened, and a mechanical eyeball peered at them, babbling something in Huttese.

"Goodness gracious me!" Threepio exclaimed. "Artoo Dee-Toa," he replied. "Bo Say-Threepay-Oa... Ay tuta mishka Jabba du Hutt?"

The eyeball gave him a terse reply, then laughed, retreating back inside its hatch.

"I don't think they're going to let us in, Artoo," Threepio said. "We'd better go."

"No, wait," Artoo told him. "They'll let us in." _Lando says Jabba is desperate for droids these days._ Suddenly there was a low rumbling sound, as the heavy durasteel gate began to open. "See? No problem," he said, rolling inside.

"Artoo, wait!" Threepio protested. "Oh dear... Artoo! Artoo, I really don't think we should rush into all this... Oh! Artoo! Artoo, wait for me!"

"Will you stop yelling?" Artoo reproached him. "The last thing we want is to run into Jabba's security guards - Eeep!" he exclaimed, running into Jabba's security guard. _Whoops..._ Artoo backed off, whistling innocently and hoping the Gamorrean hadn't noticed.

"Grrrrrrrrrr," the guard said, frowning. _Yeah... sorry about that._

"Just you deliver Master Luke's message, and get us out of here," Threepio scolded Artoo. "Oh my - oh!" he exclaimed, as another Gamorrean emerged from the shadows; then the outer gate closed behind them. "Oh no."

"Hey choda!" _What the...?_ Artoo blinked in alarm to see a ghastly white figure approaching from the hallway. _Is that - an albino Twi'lek?_ "Dee wanna wanga," the strange newcomer said, gazing at them with freakish red eyes.

"Oh my," Threepio exclaimed. _Yeah, no kidding,_ Artoo agreed; he had heard that Jabba kept a collection of circus performers at his palace. _This guy definitely belongs in a freak show._ "Dee wanna wygo," Threepio replied politely. "We bring a message to your master, Jabba the Hutt."

"Dee Jabba wonga?" the Twi'lek asked suspiciously.

_Oh!_ "And a gift," Artoo reminded Threepio.

"And a gift," Threepio repeated; then he gave Artoo a surprised look. "Gift? What gift?"

_Oops... I guess Luke forgot to tell him about that._ As a precaution - just in case Plan A didn't work out - Luke had temporarily removed Threepio's memory chip this morning, feeding him only the essential information he would need for this assignment. _This way if we get captured, Threepio can't go blabbing top-secret information to Jabba._ "Don't worry about it," Artoo reassured him. _It's all under control._

But the albino Twi'lek was not impressed with their offer. "Nee Jabba no badda," he told them; then he smiled, caressing Artoo's domed head with his long fingernails. "Eezai ohkto," he murmured seductively. _Aaahh!_ Artoo gasped, feeling suddenly violated. _Droid molester!_ "Izzi kata o mohkti?" he propositioned, as Artoo shook his head in vehement refusal. _Gah, no way!_ "Me chaade su goodie?" the Twi'lek added hopefully.

"Get your filthy hands off my goodie, you mutant freak," Artoo reproached him. "It's for Jabba."

"He says that our instructions are to give it only to Jabba himself," Threepio translated diplomatically.

"That's right," Artoo blipped indignantly. "And tell that pervy albino creep to keep it in his pants."

"I'm terribly sorry," Threepio apologized to the pervy albino creep. "I'm afraid he's ever so stubborn about these things."

The Twi'lek glared at them, incensed. "Nudd chaa!" He gestured abruptly, leading them back through the hallway.

"Artoo, I have a bad feeling about this," Threepio said.

"Yeah, well you're not the one who just got fondled by a mutant Twi'lek," Artoo grumbled, as they entered Jabba's audience chamber.

Jabba gazed at them curiously as they approached; he was surrounded by slave girls, fanning him with palm branches. _Lando was right,_ Artoo noted, taking a quick temperature reading. _118 degrees; it IS hot in here._ Then he blinked as Threepio nudged him. _Huh?_ "The message, Artoo; the message." _Oh, right._ Artoo searched his files for Luke's recording. _I'm already working on Plan B, and we haven't even tried Plan A yet._

"Bo shuda!" Jabba demanded impatiently. _Just a second,_ Artoo sighed, accessing the recording. _Okay, here you go..._

"Greetings, Exalted One," Luke's holographic image began politely, as it flickered to life. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend of Captain Solo." _And you're also really big, and blue,_ Artoo thought proudly; he had turned the magnification all the way up for maximum effect. "I know that you are powerful, mighty Jabba, and that your anger with Solo must be equally powerful. I seek an audience with your greatness, to bargain for Solo's life."

"Ha ha ha ha ha," Jabba laughed. _Yeah; you won't be laughing if we move to Plan B,_ Artoo thought indignantly. _Or Plan C - or D,_ he considered, remembering that he was carrying Johnny's backup lightsaber inside him. _And you DEFINITELY don't want to know about Plan E._

"With your wisdom, I'm sure that we can work out an arrangement which will be mutually beneficial, and enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation," Luke continued. "As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids."

"What did he say?" Threepio asked.

"Shh," Artoo warned him. _I'll explain later..._

"Both are hard working, and will serve you well," Luke's holographic image assured Jabba.

"This can't be!" Threepio protested. "Artoo, you're playing the wrong message."

_Seriously, Threepio, why did you think we were sent here? For the free music and dancing?_ Artoo sighed, as Jabba's minions cackled in gleeful amusement at their plight. _Don't worry; Lando will get us out of here, once Han is free._

"Master," the Twi'lek said now, murmuring something in Huttese. "He's no Jedi." _Hey!_ Artoo blinked indignantly. _You'd be surprised what Luke can do._ But Jabba's long-winded reply did not sound promising. _What's he saying?_

"We're doomed," Threepio paraphrased, for Artoo's benefit. _Gah, you're no help..._ Jabba continued to growl something in Huttese, gesturing toward an alcove on the side of his audience chamber. "Artoo, look!" Threepio exclaimed. "Captain Solo! And he's still frozen in carbonite."

_No, really? I would never have figured that out for myself,_ Artoo sighed. _I've missed Han,_ he confessed, casting a wistful gaze at him now. _He's the only one who understands how annoying Threepio can be at times._

_Well, it looks like Jabba didn't go for Plan A,_ Artoo gathered, as they were led back through the hallway. _His loss..._ Plan A was the only one that would have benefited Jabba at all. Mon Mothma had approved the funds to pay off Han's original debt - at a reasonable interest rate - for a total of twenty-five thousand credits. _He should have taken Luke's offer when he had the chance._

But now they would move to Plan B, which involved Artoo quietly freeing Han in the night, and escaping along with Threepio. Lando had discovered the password to Han's carbonite slab months ago, and the time lock had expired last week. He had offered to free Han himself, but the others had decided it was too risky. If anything went wrong, they would need Lando to maintain his cover as Jabba's loyal security guard.

"What could possibly have come over Master Luke?" Threepio lamented, as they were led through the dungeon. "Was it something I did? He never expressed any unhappiness with my work."

"It's okay; come on," Artoo whistled, as they arrived at the droid maintenance center. Lando had explained what would happen to them once they arrived; they would be taken to this facility, and given new assignments.

"Ah! Good. New acquisitions," the foreman droid said, appraising Threepio. "You are a protocol droid, are you not?" _Well - DUH,_ Artoo thought, blinking in confusion. _What else would he be?_ Lando was right; Jabba _was_ desperate for new droids, if this laser-brain was in charge.

"I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg - "

"Yes or no will do," the foreman interrupted him.

"Oh. Well yes," Threepio admitted. As Lando had predicted, he was assigned a job as Jabba's new interpreter; the Hutt had recently gotten angry with his last protocol droid, and disintegrated it.

_And now I'll be assigned to fix the air conditioning in Jabba's audience chamber,_ Artoo knew. This was all part of Plan B; Lando had sabotaged the air conditioning system yesterday, creating a convenient new job opportunity for Artoo, right in Jabba's main audience chamber. _And then I'll release Han tonight, and we'll be out of here._

_Unless this foreman is too stupid to realize it's my job to fix things,_ he thought worriedly. "Boy, you guys are lucky I'm here," Artoo said, as the foreman appraised him. "It's really hot in Jabba's audience chamber," he remarked. "And those slave girls look like they're getting tired of waving palm branches around," he added. "Doesn't anyone around here know how to fix the air conditioning system?"

"You're a feisty little one," the foreman scolded him. "But you'll soon learn some respect." _Haha... What are you going to do, torture me?_ Artoo thought, unafraid. _I'll just turn my pain sensors off. Besides, anything you wreck can be fixed later._ Luke had made a backup copy of the droids' memories, so that even if Plan B went horribly wrong, Artoo and Threepio could be rebuilt from scratch.

But alas, it became quickly apparent that Plan B was not going to happen at all. "I have use for you on the master's sail barge," the foreman decided, demonstrating an astounding lack of common sense. "And I think you'll fill in nicely."

_Sail barge? What?_ Artoo blinked in alarm. _Noooo! I'm supposed to fix the air conditioning... Gah,_ he sighed unhappily, as he was fitted with a restraining bolt and dragged off to his new assignment. _On to Plan C, I guess._

_Well,_ Artoo consoled himself, determined to remain optimistic. _At least now that Twi'lek freak can't try to fondle me again._

* * *

_Later that afternoon..._

_So we're moving to Plan C,_ Leia realized, her heart fluttering as she led Chewbacca through the hallways of Jabba's palace. It was secretly her favorite plan; A and B had been the safest, with no risk of human life, but Leia had wanted to be the one to rescue Han. _And we want to avoid Plans D and E,_ she reminded herself. Plan D would firmly establish the Rebels as enemies of Jabba, and Plan E would likely lead to all-out war against the Hutts; General Willard had half the Rebel fleet standing by just off Tatooine, ready to swoop in and take over Jabba's palace if necessary.

_But hopefully it won't come to that._ Plan C was really the best one; the beauty of it was that the Rebel Alliance would not be implicated at all, if it succeeded. _Boushh the bounty hunter will be blamed for this,_ Leia realized. _But he's dead._ Boushh had met an untimely demise a few months ago, after pursuing the _Millennium Falcon_ in an attempt to catch Chewbacca; the Wookiee had ripped both his arms off, but Leia had managed to salvage his armor for her own use in today's mission.

Chewie roared in protest now as they entered Jabba's audience chamber; he was a proud supporter of Plan C as well, and was immensely relieved that the time had finally come to rescue Han.

"I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee," Leia announced, speaking Ubese.

"Oh, no!" Threepio exclaimed in horror. "Chewbacca!" Luke had replaced his memory chip just this morning; Threepio had no idea that Boushh was in fact Leia, or that he himself had been teaching her to speak Ubese for the past month.

"Help, help! I've been captured by a bounty hunter!" Chewie roared, playing his part. Leia smiled behind her mask; she'd learned to understand Wookiee as well this past year. Chewie had been so kind and supportive, and Luke too, though she had missed Han and Johnny these past several months.

Jabba spoke in Huttese, as Threepio translated. "The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome, and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand."

Leia smiled wryly. _If he'd gone with Plan A, we'd have paid HIM twenty-five thousand._ Plan C was better, for so many reasons. But she remembered Lando's warning. "I want fifty thousand. No less," she demanded; no real-life bounty hunter would ever agree to Jabba's initial offer.

Jabba roared in outrage, smacking Threepio and knocking him over. _Ahh! Sorry, Threepio..._ The golden protocol droid got up again, now covered in green slime. "The mighty Jabba asks _why_ he must pay fifty thousand?" he asked, trying to appear dignified.

"Because I'm holding a thermal detonator."

"Look out!" Chewie roared, for dramatic effect.

_I wish Johnny could have been here to see this,_ Leia thought, as Jabba's minions gasped in terror, covering their faces. The thermal detonator had originally been Johnny's idea; but that had been several months ago, before Lando had discovered the time lock on Han's carbonite slab.

Jabba chuckled heartily, then spoke; he sounded impressed. "Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five," Threepio said. "And I do suggest you take it."

"Thirty-five." Leia switched off the thermal detonator.

"He agrees!" Threepio exclaimed in relief.

"Noooo!" Chewbacca roared, as the Gamorreans dragged him off to the dungeon. "I don't want to be taxidermy!" But this was all part of Plan C. Jabba wanted to stuff Chewie, and put him on display next to Han - which meant he couldn't simply send him to the Rancor. Leia and Chewbacca had specifically timed their entrance for late afternoon, knowing that Jabba would need at least until morning to prepare a fitting - yet not too messy - public execution. Chewie would spend the night in the dungeon; but Lando could release him easily enough.

_Speaking of which... Where is Lando, anyway?_ Leia wondered, looking around. She spotted him in the corner, standing in an alcove adjacent to the hallway. _Ah, there he is._ Lando subtly pulled his guard's mask down now, showing her his face. _Why is he doing that? Lando, I KNOW it's you._ Then he flashed a dazzling smile in her direction, obviously flirting. _What? He's still trying to hit on me?_ Leia blinked. _You've got to be kidding..._

She turned away uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze; then suddenly it all made sense, as she spotted a dark-skinned beauty fanning Jabba with a palm branch, smiling back at him. _I should have known,_ Leia laughed, relieved. _He's in love with a fan girl._

_So this is why he hasn't complained about being stuck here in Mos Eisley this past year,_ Leia realized, smiling in amusement as the two of them exchanged a series of subtle looks and gestures, planning for their next tryst. _He's been dating this fan girl the whole time._

_Later that night..._

"How was your date?" Leia whispered, as Lando joined her in an alcove just outside Jabba's audience chamber.

"Hey, I don't kiss and tell," Lando whispered back, with a mischievous grin. "Everything's set," he told her. "I'm the only one guarding the back entrance. Just bring Han straight out this way, and I'll take care of Chewie and the droids."

"All right," Leia whispered smiling. "Thanks, Lando." She pulled her bounty hunter helmet on, as Lando returned to the hallway to stand watch.

_Here goes..._ Leia's heart fluttered nervously as she entered the alcove where Han's carbonite slab hung on display. But she accidentally ran into a wind chime, and cringed in alarm, trying to make the noise stop. _Gah... Well, looks like Jabba's a heavy sleeper,_ she consoled herself, descending the steps.

She approached Han's carbonite slab, stopping for a moment as tears filled her eyes. _I've missed him so much._ But she sniffed back her tears, focusing on her mission. _I've got to get him out of here._ She looked around cautiously, then pressed the button to release him from the wall.

The carbonite slab hit the floor with a resounding thud; but thankfully no one seemed to have heard it. Leia quickly entered the password that Lando had given her, twisting the knob to release Han from the carbonite. _Please, let him be all right,_ Leia prayed, backing away as the slab began to glow.

She held her breath as Han's lips moved slightly, then his fingers; the rest of the carbonite dissipated quickly, and Han splatted face-down on the floor. _Ahh! Sorry..._ Leia knelt beside him, helping him to sit up. _Oh, sweety... Are you all right?_

"Just relax for a moment," she whispered; but her vocal modulator was set to high volume. _Ahh!_ The controls to Boushh's suit were located on the backs of her gloves, and she pressed a little silver button now, hoping it was the mute switch. "You're free of the carbonite." _No, that wasn't it..._ "Shh," she warned Han, though it came out as loud crackling static. _Damn it; is it this button? No,_ she realized, as her mask began to fog up. _Maybe this one?_ "You have hibernation sickness," she whispered; but it still came out too loud, and now her vision was completely foggy. _Gah..._

"I can't see," Han admitted helplessly. _Neither can I..._

"Your eyesight will return in time," Leia reassured him. _Hang in there, sweety - ahh, now I can't breathe either,_ she admitted worriedly, trying to figure out which buttons she had pushed so far. _I don't want to hit the rocket launcher..._

"Where am I?" Han asked.

"Jabba's palace," Leia croaked, gasping for air. _Oh, I hate this stupid suit..._

Han groped at her face blindly. "Who are you?"

_Gah... I give up,_ Leia sighed, pulling off her helmet. "Someone who loves you."

"Leia!" Han exclaimed in relief. They kissed for a moment, but Leia was worried that someone might have heard them. "I got to get you out of here," she warned Han, helping him to his feet. _It's a miracle we haven't woken up Jabba..._

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho," came an ominous laugh. _Oh, crap._

"What's that?" Han asked uncertainly.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..."

"I know that laugh," Han sighed, as the curtain to Jabba's chamber opened. "Hey, Jabba," he began, facing the wrong direction; Leia turned him around helpfully. _This way, sweetheart._ "Look, Jabba. I was just on my way to pay you back, and I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault."

_He's so brave,_ Leia thought, touched and relieved to see Han trying to take charge of the situation, despite his vulnerable state. _Maybe he can still get us out of this,_ she hoped, as Jabba babbled something in Huttese. _What's he saying?_

"Look - Jabba, I'll pay you triple," Han protested now. "You're throwing away a fortune, here! Don't be a fool!"

Leia's heart sank as the guards dragged Han away; but she steeled herself as she was brought before Jabba. "We have powerful friends," she warned the Hutt; the Rebel Alliance was fully prepared to invade Jabba's palace if necessary. "You're going to regret this."

But Jabba seemed unconcerned, and babbled something in Huttese, licking his lips. _Ugh..._

"Oh, I can't bear to watch," Threepio said, turning away.

_Well... On to Plan D,_ Leia sighed, as Lando and the other guard led her back out to the hallway. _Come on, Luke. Get us out of this mess._

* * *

_Plan D, huh?_ Luke sighed, trudging along the dusty road to Jabba's palace. Lando had just called to inform him that Plans A, B, and C had all failed. Luke had never been in favor of those plans to begin with, and would have preferred to quietly rescue Han on his own, in the middle of the night. But Leia and the others had not wanted him to get involved, unless absolutely necessary.

_I'm too 'special',_ Luke thought ruefully, recalling Leia's warning. He was the last of the Jedi, and the poster boy for the Rebellion; they couldn't afford to risk losing him on such a dangerous assignment. _But I AM a Jedi,_ he sighed. _If they had just let me take care of this, we'd all be out of here by now._

_"Pollywog soup!"_ came a voice in his head. _"Come, come!"_

_No,_ Luke frowned, stubbornly ignoring it, as he had done for the past year. Leia and General Willard had been coaching him in traditional Jedi abilities these past several months, and he had come to accept that hearing voices was not considered one of them.

General Willard had actually worked with Jedi before, back in the days of the Old Republic. He was familiar with their abilities, and had explained to Luke that although the Jedi certainly had impressive powers of perception, they could not actually hear other people's thoughts spoken inside their heads. General Willard and Leia were both very concerned for him, and Luke had done his best not to burden them with the alarming reality: that Yoda had been speaking to him nearly every day for this past year, urging him to return to Dagobah to complete his training.

_I don't need any more crazy hallucinations,_ Luke thought, frowning. _I don't need to go Dagobah, just to stand on my head and lift rocks in the air... I can do that any time I want,_ he realized, as he continued along the road. Thanks to Leia and General Willard's coaching, Luke had made incredible progress this past year, especially in the area of mind control. General Willard was truly impressed with his abilities, and a few months ago - in the absence of a more qualified authority - he had been the one to declare Luke a full-fledged Jedi Knight.

Leia and General Willard had also helped him to put together a Jedi outfit, befitting his new station. Luke had seen pictures of Jedi Knights, and knew that they all dressed similarly to Ben and Yoda, with their ivory tunics and brown hooded cloaks. But General Willard had quietly told him that there was one Jedi Knight who had dressed differently. General Willard had never met Luke's father personally, but from the accounts he had heard - plus several mentions Luke had found himself, poring through old HoloNet news articles - it seemed that Anakin Skywalker had dressed entirely in black.

Luke had proudly decided to carry on his father's tradition, and had taken to wearing all black these past few months. At first he had done it to honor his father's memory; but since then, it had taken on a new significance to him. He had researched the HoloNet tirelessly for any mention of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his [Censored] companion; and the more he had learned, the more he had come to accept the truth.

_Anakin dressed all in black; just like Vader,_ Luke admitted. _Anakin was Ben's pupil; just like Vader,_ he realized. _Anakin was my father; just like Vader claims to be,_ Luke thought bitterly. _And I don't wear black to honor his memory,_ he confessed, with a heavy heart. _Not any more._

_I wear it because I am in mourning,_ Luke confessed, as he trudged up the path to Jabba's palace. His father had not simply lost his life; he had lost his soul, and his honor, and his humanity. And with this knowledge, Luke had lost his innocence, his pride, and the belief that his father had been a hero. And he couldn't even tell anyone. He'd never told Leia or General Willard about his visit to Dagobah, or what Vader had said to him, that day in Cloud City.

_I told Johnny, though,_ Luke recalled; it had been a great comfort to confide in him about all of this, a year ago. But Johnny had been away these past several months, and Luke had missed his company. _Johnny would have understood,_ he knew. _He might not have LIKED it, but he would have understood._

_"Come, come!"_ Yoda said. _"Incomplete is your training!"_

"Gah," Luke sighed unhappily, ignoring the voice in his head once again. _Leave me alone..._ But then he frowned, considering it. _He's the only person who might be able to tell me what REALLY happened to my father,_ Luke realized. _I want to know the truth,_ he confessed; it had been making him miserable these past few months. _I'd rather know for sure, than to keep torturing myself, wondering._

_All right,_ Luke decided, as he approached the entrance to Jabba's palace. _As soon as we're finished here, I'll stop by Dagobah again, and see what Yoda can tell me._

_And now for Plan D,_ Luke sighed, using the Force to open the heavy outer gate of Jabba's palace. _In which I rescue not just Han - but Artoo, Threepio, Leia, and Chewie as well,_ he thought ruefully. _And probably Lando, by the time this is over._ But Luke enjoyed a good challenge, and composed himself now as he walked silently through the hallway, his black cloak trailing behind him.

Two Gamorrean guards stepped forward, blocking his passage; but he waved a hand at them, and they backed against the wall, clutching at their throats. _Another of my father's specialties,_ Luke thought with regret, continuing through the hallway.

As he approached Jabba's audience chamber, he was accosted by Bib Fortuna, Jabba's Twi'lek assistant. "You shouldn't be here, Skywalker," he protested in Huttese, recognizing him from his holograph recording. "Jabba doesn't want to talk to you."

"I must speak with Jabba," Luke replied calmly.

"He's sleeping," Fortuna whispered, glancing anxiously at his master. "Jabba said there would be no bargain."

"You will take me to Jabba now," Luke said, pointing a finger at him.

"I will take you to Jabba now," Fortuna agreed, leading the way into Jabba's audience chamber.

"You serve your master well," Luke told him, as the Twi'lek repeated his words in Huttese. "And you will be rewarded." _Gah... Hi, Leia,_ Luke sighed, seeing her chained at Jabba's side, wearing a metallic bikini. _I TOLD you to let me deal with this._

"At last!" Threepio exclaimed. "Master Luke's come to rescue me!" _That's right._

"Master," Fortuna said now, waking Jabba. "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight."

Jabba blinked, frowning. "I told you not to admit him."

"I must be allowed to speak," Luke insisted.

"He must be allowed to speak," Fortuna agreed.

"You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi mind trick!" Jabba shoved Fortuna aside.

_Oh yeah? Watch this..._ "You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me," Luke said decisively, pulling down his hood.

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Jabba laughed. _What?_ "Your mind powers will not work on me boy." _Oh, great..._

_Well, at least they seem to work on everyone else here,_ Luke consoled himself, enlisting Jabba's entire security team to back him up. "Nevertheless," he continued, as Jabba's own guards advanced upon him. "I'm taking Captain Solo, and his friends. You can either profit by this, or be destroyed." _And now I need to make him angry..._ "It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

"Master Luke! You're standing on - " _Yes, I know, Threepio._

"There will be no bargain, young Jedi," Jabba said. "I shall enjoy watching you die."

_Right,_ Luke thought; then he frowned worriedly. _Why isn't he sending me down to the Rancor?_ This was all part of Plan D; Luke knew he had to kill the Rancor, before Jabba decided to throw anyone _else_ down there. _Eh, I'll just have to improvise._ Using the Force, he grabbed a blaster from one of the guards; and instantly the trap door opened beneath his feet, sending him down to the pit.

Unfortunately one of Jabba's Gamorrean guards had fallen down too, and Luke frowned uncertainly. _Great, now I have to fight the Rancor AND a guard... Crap, that thing is huge!_ he realized, as the monster was released through its gate. _Lando, what the hell? You really thought I could fight this thing?_ But at least one of his problems was solved relatively quickly, as the Rancor picked up the Gamorrean guard, chomping its head off.

After it had finished its appetizer, it turned to Luke. _Okay, I can do this,_ he told himself, remembering Lando's strategy. He picked up a huge bone from the floor, holding his ground as the Rancor advanced upon him. Lando had seen someone use this technique before, and said it had taken a dozen guards and a grappling hook to pry it out of the beast's mouth afterwards.

Luke cringed as the Rancor grabbed him; but he managed to wedge the bone inside its mouth. _That's not going to hold,_ he realized, seeing the size of its teeth, and its powerful jaws. _Damn it..._ He wriggled free, sliding quickly into a low crevice to plan his next move. _I need to get to that gate._

The Rancor reeled for a moment; but as Luke predicted, it snapped the bone rather easily, and advanced upon him again. Luke looked around for a bigger bone, but couldn't find one. _Some plan, Lando,_ he sighed, grabbing the nearest blunt object and smacking the beast in the foot; then he ran across the pit, opening the gate and retreating inside the tunnel entrance.

He made a good show of struggling against the heavy inner gate, so that the guards wouldn't suspect his intent; but he looked over his shoulder, trying to locate the control panel Lando had told him about. _There it is... Good grief, Lando,_ Luke sighed. _If I go over there it'll eat me before I can press the button._ But the Rancor was entering the tunnel now; Luke quickly improvised, grabbing a rock and throwing it at the controls.

The heavy portcullis dropped onto the Rancor's head, and Luke sighed in regret as the beast let out a final pathetic moan. _Sorry, fella._ But it had to be done; the danger was too great that Jabba would have sent one of the others down there, to become Rancor fodder. _At least he can't hurt anyone else again,_ Luke consoled himself, as the guards dragged him back up to Jabba's audience chamber.

"Han!" Luke called to him now, relieved to see him. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Han assured him. "Together again, huh?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"How we doing?"

"Same as always."

"That bad, huh?" _Nah... We'll be all right._

Jabba delivered their sentence, and Luke listened, nodding quietly. _Yeah. We'll be fine._ "His high Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately," Threepio informed them.

"Good; I hate long waits," Han said.

"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea, and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Han said. _Yeah, its really not..._

"In his belly you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years," Threepio explained.

"On second thought, let's pass on that," Han said. _No, don't worry; we got this._

"You should have bargained," Luke told Jabba. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make." For now the Rebels would be taken miles away from Jabba's palace, with only a small team of security guards. This was the final stage of Plan D, where they would end this conflict, once and for all. Artoo was already aboard Jabba's sail barge, carrying Johnny's lightsaber; it wouldn't be too difficult to overpower the guards, and make their escape.

_No worries,_ Luke thought, as they were dragged away. Even if someone accidentally fell into the pit, it was no big deal; it took the Sarlacc a thousand years to digest anything, and they could be rescued afterward easily enough, with no ill effects. _It's all under control..._

But suddenly Luke stared in surprise, locking gazes with one of Jabba's dancers. _Whoa!_ She had strange dark hair that looked rather fake; but her emerald eyes sparkled magically, and he gaped at her, stunned. _She's beautiful..._ Luke's heart skipped a beat; he'd never felt like this before. _I think... I think I'm in love,_ he realized to his utter disbelief, as the guards hauled him away to be executed. _Gah... I have the worst timing._

* * *

Mara stared in surprise as the guards dragged Luke away. _So that's Skywalker,_ she realized, taken aback. _He's even cuter than his wanted picture._ But it wasn't just that; Mara had never felt a Jedi's Force presence before, and it startled her. _It was so... nice,_ she confessed. _Gentle... kind..._ Tears of longing filled her eyes as the strangely wonderful presence faded into the distance, then disappeared altogether.

_I can't kill him,_ Mara realized, stunned by her own feelings. _I think... I think I love him._ She had never felt this way before; all she'd ever felt was anger, and resentment, and bitterness. _Though I didn't realize it, until I came here,_ Mara admitted. She had been working at Jabba's palace this past year, posing as a dark-haired dancer named Arica; and in her time here, she had come to realize what a heartless tyrant the Hutt was.

_He's a monster,_ Mara thought, angry tears filling her eyes. _He's cruel, and sadistic; he uses everyone for his own purposes, and enjoys making them suffer. He's old, and ugly, and - _ she clenched her teeth, feeling the rage welling inside of her. _And he reminds me of Palpatine, in all of those ways._

For it was Palpatine that she had truly learned to hate, over this past year. _I never saw him for what he was, until I got away from him,_ Mara confessed. But this past year at Jabba's palace had given her a new perspective, and she had come to face the painful truth: that her entire life had been a lie, and that the man she had trusted like a father was in truth a manipulative, power-hungry, sadistic bastard - just like Jabba.

_Palpatine used to make me dance for him too,_ Mara scowled in resentment. _When he wasn't sending me off to assassinate people,_ she admitted, remembering that she was supposed to kill Luke. _I hate my life,_ she sighed. _When Palpatine finds out he was here, and I failed, he'll - _

_No, he won't,_ she thought stubbornly. _Because I'm never going back. Screw this,_ Mara decided, heading for the nearest exit. _I'm going to help Luke._ She found a land speeder parked just outside the palace, and hopped in, racing out toward the Dune Sea.

_If I help the Rebels... Maybe they'll take me with them?_ Mara wondered. _I have inside information about Palpatine; I could be useful,_ she thought, formulating her plan as she sped across the sandy wasteland. _Okay: I'll kill Jabba as a present to them, to show I'm on their side... And then - _

Suddenly there was a massive, fiery explosion in the distance. _Oh, crap..._ Mara sped toward the wreckage, seeing bits and pieces of Jabba's sail barge strewn across the desert, still burning. _Well now I can't kill Jabba,_ she sighed in disappointment. _He's already dead._

Then her heart sank as she realized there were no other survivors. _Luke..._ Mara pulled over at the edge of the Sarlacc pit, climbing out of her speeder and peering over the edge worriedly. _He's not down there,_ she sensed, turning her gaze toward the sky. _Hopefully he got away..._ But she sensed several _other_ people down in the pit, and sighed, going back to her speeder and finding a retractor cable. _I'd better get them out of there._

_A few minutes later..._

"That's everyone," Boba Fett said, helping the last of the Sarlacc's victims was to safety. "Hey... Darek's hurt pretty bad," he told Mara quietly, nodding toward one of Jabba's guards. "I need to get him back to the palace." He turned his helmeted gaze toward her speeder. "Do you mind?" he asked. "I'll come back in my ship for the rest of you."

"Okay," Mara said absently. "Thanks." Boba lifted Darek into the speeder; but now Mara gave him a questioning look. "You're sure that was everyone?"

"Yeah," Boba nodded. "Thanks, Arica; I'll be right back," he promised, taking off with the injured guard.

_So Luke got away,_ Mara deduced, casting her gaze up to the blue sky. _Unless..._ She looked over at the burned wreckage of Jabba's sail barge. _No. Luke got away,_ she told herself stubbornly. _But how will I ever find him?_ _I spent this whole past year trying, and look how that turned out._

_I'll probably never see him again,_ Mara realized unhappily. _But I'm not going back to Palpatine, either,_ she vowed, angry tears springing to her eyes. Mara gazed across the Dune Sea, feeling suddenly more lost than she'd ever been in her life. _Now what?_

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"That was so much fun!" Artoo chirped, as he and Luke flew away from Tatooine in their X-wing. "Did you see how I threw your lightsaber to you?"

"Yeah, it was great," Luke agreed, peering at his control panel. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome," Artoo told him cheerfully. "I worked really hard to calculate the trajectory," he added. "51.7 degrees, at 165.8 kilometers per hour... I factored in the wind speed, and everything - "

Luke laughed softly. "You did terrific."

"I know!" Artoo squealed. "That was such an awesome idea to give me Johnny's lightsaber... Hey do you think I can have it back again, just to hold on to?" he asked Luke. "I mean, just until Johnny gets back? It could come in handy; you never know - "

"Sure, Artoo," Luke agreed good-naturedly. "Hang on; we've got an incoming message," he apologized, pressing the button on his transmitter. _Aw... Okay,_ Artoo sighed, waiting patiently as Luke answered the call.

"Take care, Luke," Leia said, over the transmitter. "We'll meet you back at the rendezvous point."

"Right," Luke replied; then he hesitated. "Um, actually... Gah, I've got a warning light blinking here," he told her. "Looks like the hyperdrive again." _Huh?_ Artoo blinked in concern. _Something's wrong?_ "Don't worry; I'll get it checked out at Tosche Station," Luke assured her. "It might take me a while though," he apologized. "I'll meet you back at the fleet."

"Hurry," Leia told him. "The Alliance should be assembled by now."

"I will," Luke promised.

"Hey, Luke - thanks," Han's voice said, over the transmitter. "Thanks for coming after me. Now I owe _you_ one."

Artoo blinked in confusion, finishing his troubleshooting diagnostic. _There's nothing wrong with the hyperdrive,_ he thought, baffled. _It's completely fine..._ Then he let out a surprised twitter, recalling the _last_ time Luke had lied about this exact same problem. "Um... Are we going to Dagobah again?"

"That's right, Artoo," Luke said, pulling a black glove onto his singed mechanical hand. "We're going to the Dagobah system." _Ha! I thought so..._ "I have a promise to keep, to an old friend," Luke told him. "It's a secret though, okay?"

"Secret?" _Okay, let me put that in my confidential file..._ Artoo blinked worriedly, noting that his secret memory drive was nearly full. _There's tons of stuff in here,_ he confessed, scanning through his files. _Anakin and Padme's wedding on Naboo; Luke and Leia's baby pictures... Ah, here's a free spot,_ Artoo sighed in relief, carefully filing away this new information. _Secret trip to Dagobah number two... Got it._

"Don't worry," Artoo reassured Luke, as they headed for Dagobah. "I'm good at keeping secrets."


	21. Luke goes to Dagobah

**Chapter 21**

"Lord Vader," Moff Jerjerrod said, greeting him in the Death Star's docking bay. "This is an unexpected pleasure. We are honored by your presence."

_I'm glad he's back,_ Johnny agreed, standing at attention with the other Stormtroopers. _I've been worried about him._ Vader had been summoned to Coruscant a week ago to face disciplinary action, as the Emperor had grown displeased with his lack of progress on the Death Star's production. No one had known when - or if - Vader would return, and Johnny breathed a sigh of relief now, grateful to see him back in one piece.

"You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander," Vader replied, walking past the line of officers and Stormtroopers. "I'm here to put you back on schedule."

"I assure you, Lord Vader, my men are working as fast as they can," Jerjerrod told him.

"Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them," Vader suggested darkly.

_I didn't mean to get him in trouble,_ Johnny sighed, as Vader walked past. Though it wasn't entirely his fault; Johnny had been committing random acts of sabotage for the past eight months, but the Death Star itself seemed to be cursed. Things had a way of breaking all on their own, even without his help.

_I'm just glad he's back,_ Johnny thought, as Vader and Jerjerrod continued through the docking bay. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he gathered that the Emperor was not happy with all the delays. _All right, then,_ Johnny decided regretfully. _No more sabotage._

A few minutes later his comlink made a familiar hissing sound, and Johnny smiled secretly behind his Stormtrooper mask. A single static hiss was Vader's signal that he wished to see him, and Johnny headed through the hallways toward Vader's private quarters now. _I've missed him,_ he admitted. For the past several months he had spent nearly every evening in the Sith Lord's presence, enjoying take-out from the officers' lounge as they watched pod racing and other shows on the Holo, and built model spaceships together. _It's been boring with him gone._

He arrived at Vader's quarters, and the door slid open of its own accord, letting him inside. "My Lord," Johnny said cheerfully, taking off his Stormtrooper helmet as he joined Vader at the dinner table, where he was already busy working on their latest model spaceship. "It's good to see - " he broke off, alarmed by Vader's haggard appearance; he looked tired, and ill. "Sir... are you all right?" Johnny asked, suddenly concerned.

Vader managed a brave smile. "I'm fine," he insisted, though his voice faltered, and he coughed weakly. "It's good to see you too." _He looks terrible,_ Johnny thought; the dark circles under his eyes were worse than usual, and if possible, he looked even paler than before.

_I mean - he ALWAYS looks terrible, _Johnny admitted. _But not THIS bad._ He attempted a smile, hiding his concern; but he couldn't help wondering what had happened on Coruscant. _Did the Emperor - torture him?_ Johnny gulped, horrified by the thought. _This is my fault..._

"How have you been, Johnny?" Vader asked, giving him a hopeful smile as they continued working on their model spaceship.

"Oh... Fine," Johnny told him, nodding. "Bored," he added, with a rueful grin. Vader's blue eyes twinkled appreciatively. "I'm glad you're back," Johnny confessed, putting the spaceship's miniature landing gear together. "So - everything's all right?" he asked, curious.

Vader sighed. "More or less. But there are going to be some changes around here," he said, giving Johnny a cautionary look. "The Emperor will be arriving later today; he wants to oversee the final stages of production personally."

Johnny's eyes widened in alarm. "The Emperor's coming here?"

"Yes," Vader sighed unhappily, gluing the control panel into the model ship's cockpit. "Speaking of which - " He was interrupted as his communicator buzzed, and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Yes?" he rasped, answering the transmission.

"Lord Vader," Moff Jerjerrod replied. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but we're preparing the throne room for the Emperor's arrival, and - I'm afraid there's a bit of a situation..." His voice trailed off vaguely.

Vader frowned. "What kind of situation?"

"Well - that entire sector seems to have lost power, and heating," Jerjerrod informed him. "We're trying to identify the source of the problem, but I thought you should know, before the Emperor arrives," he added hesitantly.

Vader sighed, casting a regretful look at their model spaceship project. "All right," he told Jerjerrod. "I'm on my way." He ended the transmission, getting up from the table and reaching for his helmet and face mask; but he faltered momentarily, grasping the back of the chair to steady himself.

"My Lord," Johnny said, quickly going to his side. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"Yes," Vader breathed weakly, closing his eyes for a moment; Johnny stood there awkwardly, not certain what to do. _Crap, I think he's sick..._ "I have to deal with this," Vader apologized, putting on his mask. "But - " his voice was once again deep and robotic, as he pulled on his helmet. "I need to speak with you later," he told Johnny. "Before the Emperor arrives," he said, switching his ventilator back on.

"Yes, sir," Johnny said, pulling on his own helmet as he followed Vader to the door. "I'll wait for your signal," he promised.

Johnny watched in concern as Vader headed down the hallway, disappearing around the corner; then he gulped, doing his best to mask the sudden onslaught of conflicting emotions that engulfed him. He was deeply concerned for Vader's health, and alarmed by the news of Palpatine's imminent arrival; but he also realized this was the moment the Rebels had been waiting for, and that the time had come to launch their attack on the Death Star.

_I have to contact General Willard,_ Johnny decided, heading for the auxiliary control room on the tenth level. He was anxious to hear word from the Rebels anyway; he knew that they were planning to rescue Han from Tatooine sometime this week, and hoped that everything was all right. Johnny was worried for Han, and for Luke, Leia, and Chewie as well; but he was equally worried for Vader - and at the same time plotting to kill him.

_I hate this job so much,_ Johnny admitted once again, as he continued through the Death Star's hallways._ Why did Vader have to be such a nice guy - and Luke's father?_ he lamented, heartbroken by what he was about to do._ Why couldn't he have just been an evil bastard? _Johnny sighed unhappily. _It would have made this a lot easier, _he confessed, as he arrived at the auxiliary control room.

He went over to the transmitter and began entering the secure code to reach General Willard; but then he hesitated, as an idea came to him. _Vader wanted to talk to me later_, Johnny recalled, still curious what that was about. _Maybe... Maybe I could convince him to come with me?_ He was Luke's father, after all; perhaps if Johnny explained what was going on, Vader might understand, and even help them...?

_No,_ Johnny scolded himself. _Don't be stupid. He may be Luke's father, but he's still a Sith Lord._ In twenty-three years, Vader's allegiance to the Dark side had never once wavered; in fact, he had tried to get _Luke_ to join him as well, the last time they'd met. Vader wasn't just a harmless old man who liked to watch pod racing and build model spaceships; he was a cold-blooded killer, responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people over his illustrious career.

_He has to die,_ Johnny admitted, though his heart sank at the realization, and tears of grief sprang to his eyes. _This is what I get for making friends with a Sith Lord,_ he scolded himself angrily, sniffing back his tears as he dialed General Willard's secure number. _My loyalty is to the Rebellion,_ Johnny reminded himself, without a shadow of a doubt. _They trusted me to handle this. I can't let them down._

"Vanden Willard," came a familiar voice over the transmitter.

"General Willard, it's Johnny," he said quietly, glancing at the door to make sure no one was nearby. "I just found out the Emperor is coming here, to the Death Star," he informed him. "He'll be here later today; I'm not sure how long he's staying," Johnny admitted.

"Today?" General Willard repeated, surprised. "All right; good work," he told Johnny. "The fleet is gathering near Sullust now; we'll begin preparing for our attack," he said. "We're still waiting on Commander Skywalker though; he's running late."

Johnny frowned worriedly. "He's still on Tatooine? How's the rescue mission going?"

"Fine," General Willard assured him. "General Solo is back with us, and General Calrissian too," he added, as Johnny blinked in surprise. _What? They're Generals now?_ "Commander Skywalker was having some hyperdrive problems, but he should be along soon."

_Hyperdrive problems?_ Johnny blinked worriedly; but he needed to end the transmission before it could be traced, so he ignored that for now. "All right," he told General Willard. "I'll try to contact you again in a few hours. I'll see what else I can find out," Johnny promised.

"Thanks, Captain Doe," General Willard replied. "Good work."

_So apparently I'm still just a Captain - and a Stormtrooper,_ Johnny sighed, ending the transmission. _How the heck did Han and Lando get to be Generals all of a sudden?_ Han had spent the entire past year frozen in carbonite, and Lando had been working as a security guard at Jabba's palace the whole time. Johnny shook his head, grinning in amusement as he pulled his helmet back on. _Eh, I'm just glad they're all right._

But he was still worried about Luke. _Hyperdrive problems, huh?_ Johnny had worked on Luke's X-wing himself, and knew that virtually nothing could go wrong with the hyperdrive, that Artoo couldn't repair by switching a few wires.

_Oh, great,_ Johnny sighed, recalling the last time Luke had faked this exact same problem. _He's gone to Dagobah again._ Luke had only been there once before, but the experience had brought on a severe relapse of hallucinations, hearing voices, and talking to ghosts.

_Luke, what are you doing?_ Johnny thought worriedly, heading back down to the main level to report for duty. _We need you to be relatively sane for this mission,_ he admitted, concerned for his friend. _This is not the time to have your head screwed with by imaginary Jedi ghosts._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"That face you make," Yoda said, hobbling over to the fireplace. "Look I so old, to young eyes?"

"No," Luke insisted. "Of course not."

"I do," Yoda admitted, coughing weakly. "Yes, I do. Sick have I become," he confessed. "Old and weak." _I should have come back sooner,_ Luke thought, suddenly feeling guilty. _He looks terrible..._

But Yoda sensed his thoughts, and gave him a reproachful look. "When nine hundred years old _you_ reach, look as good _you_ will not," he insisted proudly. "Hmm?" Yoda laughed, and Luke smiled despite his concern. "Soon will I rest," Yoda said, hobbling over to his little bed. "Yes... Forever sleep," he told Luke, sitting down wearily. "Earned it I have."

"Master Yoda, you can't die," Luke said, trying to reassure him.

"Strong am I with the Force," Yoda agreed. "But not that strong," he admitted, looking down. "Twilight is upon me, and soon night must fall," he said, laying down in bed. "That is the way of things," he said, as Luke helped him with his blanket. "The way of the Force."

"But I need your help," Luke protested. "I've come back to complete the training." _And I'm sorry for ignoring you,_ he thought sadly; Yoda had been sending him cheerful invitations of _"Pollywog soup!"_ nearly every day for the past year. _I didn't realize you were sick._

"No more training do you require," Yoda said wearily. "Already know you, that which you need."

"Then I _am_ a Jedi," Luke realized, surprised. General Willard had knighted him a few months earlier, but it had felt rather unofficial.

"Oh?" Yoda reproached him, coughing weakly. "Not yet," he said. "One thing remains... Vader," he told Luke. "You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be," he said. "And confront him you will."

_Um, about that,_ Luke sighed ruefully. _I kind of already have._ "Master Yoda," he asked, remembering the reason for today's visit. "_Is_ Darth Vader my father?"

Yoda didn't react for a long moment. "Rest I need," he said, turning away and ignoring Luke's question. "Yes, rest."

"Yoda, I must know," Luke said. He already knew the answer, and didn't expect a reply; but even so, Yoda's words struck a crushing blow.

"Your father he is," Yoda said quietly. "Told you, did he?"

"Yes," Luke admitted, his mind reeling. _So I didn't just imagine that,_ he realized, thinking back to Vader's final words in Cloud City. They had both inhaled a disturbing amount of Tibanna gas that day, and Luke had never been entirely certain of what he had heard.

"Unexpected, this is," Yoda said, sighing. "And unfortunate."

"Unfortunate that I know the truth?" Luke reproached him. _Why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't Ben tell me? Why did you make me stand on my head and float rocks the whole time I was here, while you went off chasing frogs and giggling like a lunatic?_

"No," Yoda clarified. "Unfortunate that you rushed to face him," he told Luke. "That incomplete was your training. That not ready for the burden, were you."

"I'm sorry," Luke apologized. _Sometimes Yoda makes sense; and sometimes he really doesn't... And I never know which it will be._

"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force," Yoda told him, sounding like the wise Jedi Master once again. "But beware: anger, fear, aggression... The Dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny," he said.

"Luke," Yoda continued weakly. "Luke... Do not - do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor. Or suffer your father's fate you will," he warned him. "Luke... When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be."

_Oh, crap,_ Luke realized, the weight of Yoda's words hitting him. _He's really going to die..._

"Luke," Yoda said feebly. "The Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned," he instructed him. "Luke," he breathed, too exhausted for words. "There is another... Sk...y... walk...er..."

Luke blinked, stunned by this revelation. _Another Skywalker?_ The answer came to him almost immediately. _Johnny,_ he guessed, looking away for a moment. _He's my brother, _Luke realized, touched but not entirely surprised._ I have felt it._

But now he peered at Yoda again worriedly. _Is he - gone?_ Luke wondered, his heart sinking. Then suddenly Yoda really _was_ gone: vanished into thin air, right before his eyes. _I didn't imagine that,_ Luke thought, staring worriedly at Yoda's empty bed. _Did I?_

_Unless... Maybe I've imagined this whole thing?_ Luke wondered. Everyone had been skeptical of Luke's claim a few years ago - that Ben had vanished upon dying; General Willard and Leia insisted that such a phenomenon had never been known to occur, in the history of the galaxy.

_So I really am crazy,_ Luke admitted glumly, heading back outside Yoda's hut. _But - is it true, about Johnny?_ Crazy or not, the ghosts and voices he heard often turned out to be right. _Johnny looks a lot like me,_ Luke confessed; they had the exact same coloring, though Johnny was taller, and a few years older. _He's a natural at flying, and lightsaber fighting; and he has no idea about his own parentage..._

Then Luke shook his head, remembering the reason for Johnny's amnesia. The doctors had found no sign of physical injury or brain trauma five years ago, when they had found Johnny wandering the streets of Coruscant. So they had concluded that his amnesia must have been triggered by a severe emotional trauma - something so terrible that it had caused him to forget his entire life.

_Such as finding out that your father is a Sith Lord,_ Luke sighed unhappily. _Johnny found out, somehow, about Vader - our father,_ he guessed, sobered by the thought. _And he couldn't handle it,_ Luke realized. _It completely destroyed him._

_I can't tell him,_ Luke decided regretfully. Yoda had instructed him to pass on what he had learned; but Luke didn't have the heart to ruin Johnny's life all over again. _So that's it,_ he sighed, returning to his X-wing. _I really am the last of the Jedi..._

"I can't do it, Artoo," Luke said, as the little astrodroid gave him a questioning chirp. "I can't go on alone."

"Yoda will always be with you," came a familiar voice.

_Damn it, that's what I was afraid of,_ Luke sighed, as Ben emerged from the shadows in a ghostly blue shimmer. _I'll never be rid of these crazy ghosts, and hallucinations, and voices in my head._

"Obi-Wan," Luke said, confronting the apparition. "Why didn't you tell me?" he reproached him. "You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."

"Your father was seduced by the Dark side of the Force," Ben explained. "He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker, and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true," he insisted. "From a certain point of view."

"A certain point of view?" Luke repeated. _Yeah... An INSANE point of view,_ he thought bitterly. _I've had it with these voices, and ghosts... And this stupid planet, _he confessed, suspecting once again that Dagobah itself was the cause of his hallucinations.

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view," Ben said, taking a seat on a fallen log. "Anakin was a good friend," he continued, as Luke sat beside him, curious what he had to say. "When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong," Ben admitted with regret.

"There _is_ still good in him," Luke protested. He had felt it that day in Cloud City, though he had been reluctant to admit it, and had spent the past year blaming his confusion on the Tibanna gas. _He wasn't trying to kill me,_ Luke admitted. _I think - he was trying to reach out to me, for help._

"He's more machine now, than man," Ben said dismissively. "Twisted, and evil."

_No; you're wrong, _Luke thought. "I can't do it, Ben."

"You cannot escape your destiny," Ben told him. "You must face Darth Vader again."

"I can't kill my own father." _I can save him,_ Luke hoped. _I can turn him back..._

"Then the Emperor has already won," Ben said. "You were our only hope."

_Yeah; about that..._ "Yoda spoke of another," Luke mentioned. _He meant Johnny, right?_ He was beginning to doubt that these crazy Jedi ghosts had their facts straight, but decided to press Ben for whatever knowledge he might learn.

"The other he spoke of is your twin sister," Ben replied.

_Sister? Huh?_ "But - I have no sister," Luke protested, confused. _I have a brother,_ he had been certain. _Johnny..._

"To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born," Ben told him. "The Emperor knew, as I did, that if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous."

Luke's eyes widened as he realized the truth. "Leia," he said. _She's adopted; and we have the same birthday..._ "Leia's my sister."

"Your insight serves you well," Ben said. _Well that explains why it felt so wrong when she kissed me,_ Luke thought. "Bury your feelings deep down, Luke," Ben told him. _Yeah, no kidding,_ Luke agreed, pushing away the disturbing memory. "They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

Luke nodded in solemn understanding; Palpatine's sadistic tastes were legendary, and Luke tried very hard not to imagine the things he and Leia might be forced to do, if the Emperor ever caught them. "But - why didn't you tell me about Leia before?" he asked Ben, trying to understand. "Like - three years ago, when we tried to go to Alderaan to help her?"

"Well, I _did_ tell you," Ben insisted, maintaining his dignity. "From a certain point of view. You just weren't listening."

"I wasn't listening?" Luke repeated skeptically. "So I guess I wasn't listening when you told me about Johnny, either?"

"Johnny?" Ben frowned in confusion. "Who's Johnny?"

"My brother," Luke said. "Although that's probably not his real name," he admitted, hoping that Ben might know Johnny's true identity. "He's a couple years older than me; do you remember him?"

"No, no," Ben said. "That's not possible. Your mother was never pregnant, before you came along."

Luke sighed; then he gave Ben a curious look. "My mother?" he asked. "Who was she?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know that," Ben insisted, with a conspiratorial smile. "I wasn't supposed to know. I _pretended_ not to know," he told Luke, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "No, no; I know nothing about that. Nothing at all."

_Great,_ Luke sighed. "Well - what about my father?" he asked hopefully. "How did - how did it happen... How did he get hurt?"

Ben looked down, deeply regretful. "A young Jedi named Darth Vader - who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil - helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights," he told Luke solemnly. "He betrayed and murdered your father."

_Yes, I've heard this one before._ "From a certain point of view," Luke guessed, hiding his sarcasm.

Ben smiled. "From a certain point of view," he agreed.

"All right," Luke sighed, giving up on his fact-finding mission. "Well, I'd better get going," he told Ben politely. "I'm late for - " _Something, _he thought, gesturing apologetically toward his X-wing.

"Of course," Ben said, getting up to see him off. "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Luke. May the Force be with you."

"Thank you, Ben," Luke said, managing an appreciative smile. _For whatever it was that you just told me... Or didn't tell me,_ he sighed ruefully, climbing up into the cockpit of his X-wing. "May the Force be with you." Ben nodded politely, and Luke gave him a friendly wave as he took off from Dagobah.

_So... Where am I going?_ Luke tried to remember, as he sped away from Dagobah. _I swear, that planet makes me crazy..._

"You have a message from General Willard," Artoo mentioned helpfully, seeing the blinking light.

"Oh - thanks," Luke said, reaching for his transmitter. "I'd better give him a call."

"Commander Skywalker," General Willard replied. "Good to hear from you; how's the hyperdrive?"

"All fixed," Luke assured him. _Though my brain is a mess..._ "I'm on my way back to the rendezvous point."

"There's been a change of plans," General Willard informed him. "We just got word from Captain Doe; the Emperor is on his way to the Death Star right now," he told Luke. "We're gathering the fleet outside Sullust; we'll be ready to launch our attack mission as soon as you get here."

_Oh, crap!_ Luke blinked, his brain still foggy. _Now?_ "All right," he told General Willard. "I'll be there in an hour or so."

_This is it,_ Luke realized, setting the coordinates for Sullust and preparing for the jump to lightspeed. _This is the day I have to kill my own father..._ His heart sank at the thought, and he hung his head. "I can't do it," he said aloud, to no one in particular.

"Oh... Don't worry; I've got it," Artoo assured him, finishing the calculations. "There we go," he twittered cheerfully, as they blasted off into hyperspace.

Luke smiled despite his heavy heart. "Thanks, Artoo."

"No problem," Artoo chirped brightly. "So, we're attacking another Death Star?" he asked. "Same as last time? With the trench run, and the exhaust port?"

Luke laughed. "I don't think this one has a trench, or an exhaust port; it's not finished yet," he told Artoo. "We're going to have to try a different tactic."

"A different tactic?" Artoo asked, curious. "Like what?"

_Like trying to save my father, instead of killing him,_ Luke thought, with a regretful sigh. "I don't know," he admitted. "We'll find out more when we meet up with the fleet," he told Artoo. "And then - we'll just have to figure out the rest when we get there," Luke added, mostly to himself.

"Improvise? Cool," Artoo twittered happily, as they continued toward Sullust. "Sounds like fun."


	22. Vader suspects a Rebel spy

**Chapter 22**

"Lord Vader," Moff Jerjerrod announced. "The Emperor's shuttle has arrived; he'll be landing momentarily."

_Damn it,_ Vader sighed. He'd spent the past two hours frantically trying to repair the light and heating system in the Death Star's throne room, and cast a baleful glance at the control panel now. _I give up._ "Excellent," he replied brusquely, heading toward the main hangar.

"Any luck in fixing the power to the throne room?" Jerjerrod asked, hurrying to keep up with him.

"No," Vader said. "But I've connected the computer system to a reserve power generator; the command terminal will be operational." _Though it will be dark in there,_ he realized; but thankfully Palpatine liked it dark._ And I hope he presses me about this,_ Vader sighed. _Then he will sense the truth, when I tell him I have no idea what's wrong with it. _Palpatine had suspected that Vader was responsible for the mysterious delays in the Death Star's production, which was the reason for his visit today; but the truth was, Vader had abandoned his own sabotage efforts months ago, yet things kept breaking constantly anyway.

_This wasn't my fault,_ Vader grumbled to himself as he entered the docking bay, casting a cursory glance at the two legions of Stormtroopers who already stood at attention, awaiting the Emperor's arrival. Then his eyes widened in sudden alarm. _Ahh - Johnny!_ He'd meant to send him far away from here, before the Emperor arrived. _Palpatine will sense his presence..._ But there was no time to do anything about it now, as the Emperor's shuttle was already landing.

_I'll have to disperse my own presence, to cover up Johnny's,_ Vader quickly decided, as he approached the shuttle. It required considerable focus and concentration, but he managed it now, broadcasting his Force signature in all directions as he knelt humbly before his Master.

"Rise, my friend," Palpatine said, after descending the ramp.

_Ooof..._ Vader obeyed, ignoring his sudden dizziness, which had grown alarmingly worse lately. _Focus; don't pass out in front of everyone._ "The Death Star _will_ be completed on schedule," he assured his Master, as they walked past the rows of Stormtroopers. _There, I'm better now. I think...?_

"You've done well, Lord Vader," the Emperor praised him._ Thank you..._ "And now, I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker." _What?_ Vader's brows furrowed in surprise. _Why is he suddenly bringing this up?_

"Yes, my Master," he agreed cautiously; Palpatine had expressly forbidden him to search for Luke this entire past year.

"Patience, my friend," the Emperor said. "In time, he will seek you out." _What?_ Vader blinked. _He will?_ "And when he does, you must bring him before me." _Obviously; I knew there had to be a catch._ "He has grown strong," Palpatine warned him. "Only together can we turn him to the Dark side of the Force."

"As you wish," Vader replied. _But why is he interested in Luke again, all of a sudden?_ he wondered, confused. _Has something happened to Mara?_

"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," the Emperor gloated, cackling in amusement; but then his brows furrowed as he peered at Vader. "What's wrong with your Force presence?" he asked, after they were out of earshot of the Stormtroopers. "You feel... fragmented."

"I feel it as well, my Master," Vader agreed, continuing to disperse his Force presence in all directions, in order to cover up Johnny's. "I have found it increasingly difficult to focus lately," he lied. "It seems to be an effect of the LTWTL."

The Emperor laughed, amused by his strange illness. "No matter," he assured Vader. "By the way, I've brought my own technical crew with me, from Coruscant," he told him. "Perhaps you could show them to the superlaser? I'm certain they will be able to quickly get to the bottom of these mysterious problems you've been having."

"I shall deal with it at once," Vader promised, nodding respectfully and taking his leave as the Emperor and Moff Jerjerrod continued on to the throne room. _Thank the Force,_ he sighed, relaxing his concentration for a moment; it was exhausting to constantly fragment his presence. But he hoped that if he and Johnny stayed relatively close together - and away from the Emperor - Palpatine would not suspect anything unusual about their double presence.

He signaled for his security team, then led the Emperor's technical crew down to the superlaser control room. _I need to send Johnny far away from here, for his own safety,_ Vader admitted, as he showed the problem to Palpatine's technicians. _It's almost lunch time; hopefully I can find a moment to -_ His thoughts were interrupted as Moff Jerjerrod entered the control room, casting a meaningful glance in his direction.

"The Emperor wishes to speak with you, My Lord," Jerjerrod said, as Vader sighed in annoyance.

"Thank you, Commander," Vader replied; then he turned back to the technical crew. "I shall leave you to your work," he said, gesturing for his security team and heading briskly through the hallways to the Death Star's throne room. _He probably wants to know why the lights aren't working,_ Vader guessed, carefully dispersing his presence once again as he instructed his security team to wait in the foyer, then entered the throne room along with Moff Jerjerrod.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader asked, pretending not to notice that it was pitch dark and freezing cold in the Emperor's throne room.

But Palpatine's reply surprised him. "Send the fleet to the far side of Endor," he instructed Vader, seemingly unconcerned about the lighting situation. _What?_ "There it will stay until called for." _So... You're putting me in charge of the Executor again? _Vader blinked in surprise._ And why is the whole Imperial fleet here anyway? What's going on?_ He'd heard the news of their arrival earlier today, and it had puzzled him.

"What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?" Vader asked cautiously. _Are they planning an attack on the Death Star? Crap, is that what all this is about?_ He gulped, realizing that the Emperor's technical crew was repairing the superlaser as they spoke.

"It is of no concern," the Emperor assured him. "Soon the Rebellion will be crushed, and young Skywalker will be one of us." _So THAT'S what's going on,_ Vader realized, finally understanding the true reason behind the Emperor's visit. "Your work here is finished, my friend," Palpatine told him. "Go out to the command ship and await my orders."

"Yes, my Master," Vader said, taking his leave. _So the Rebels are making their move today,_ he thought, returning to the docking bay along with his security team. _But what is their plan?_ he wondered. The Emperor seemed to think that Luke would seek _them_ out; did that mean he intended to confront the Sith Lords directly? _Luke, you're crazy,_ Vader thought worriedly. _I love you, but you're no match for ME, let alone the Emperor._

Sidious apparently wasn't taking any chances though, Vader noted, as he boarded his shuttle and flew out to the _Executor._ The entire Imperial fleet was gathered here now, and the Emperor's technicians were hard at work repairing the Death Star's superlaser; the Rebellion truly _would_ be crushed, if they attempted a direct assault today.

Admiral Piett was just arriving in the _Executor's_ docking bay as Vader's shuttle touched down, and hurried to meet him. "Lord Vader," he said, polite but somewhat breathless; he looked surprised. "It's good to see you, My Lord." Vader was accustomed to receiving such greetings everywhere he went, but smiled faintly now, sensing that Piett actually meant it. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

"Emperor's orders," Vader told him, as they walked toward the _Executor's_ bridge along with his security team. "Send the fleet to the far side of Endor," he instructed Piett. "There it will stay until called for. The Emperor has something special planned," he added, with a tone of warning.

"It shall be as you command, sir," Piett assured him. "Are we to wait there as well?" he asked, not quite understanding.

"No," Vader said. "The _Executor_ is to remain here, along with the Death Star's sentry ships." _That's right,_ he nodded subtly, seeing the look of concern in Piett's eyes. _We're setting a trap for the Rebels; the Emperor thinks they're planning an assault today._

"Understood, My Lord," Piett said, as they arrived on the bridge. He relayed the Emperor's orders to his crew, as Vader continued over to his old command post, gazing out the window as the fleet began to move. _I've missed this ship,_ he admitted. Piett was a pleasure to work with, and life aboard the _Executor_ was far less stressful than the disaster zone that the Death Star had been this past year. _Besides, it actually GOES places,_ he sighed, casting an annoyed glance at the half-completed Death Star now.

But then he smiled quietly, remembering. _If I hadn't been transferred to the Death Star, I would never have met Johnny._ Thanks to their unexpected friendship, this past year had been by far the happiest he'd known, over his two-decade career with the Imperial Army. _And my time is nearly up,_ Vader realized, feeling the extreme weakness in his heart; he didn't need a doctor to tell him that his LTWTL had progressed to the end stage now, and would soon claim his life.

_It's time to say goodbye to Johnny,_ Vader knew, feeling a pang of regret as he gazed out at the stars. _I need to send him far away from here,_ he admitted worriedly. _Someplace where he will be safe from the Emperor, after I'm gone..._ But suddenly his brows furrowed as he sensed a familiar presence nearby.

_Luke... And Leia too?_ Vader focused intently on their presences, pinpointing their location aboard a small Imperial shuttle. _Palpatine was right,_ he realized, somewhat alarmed; the Emperor had foreseen that Luke would seek them out. _Is he planning to board the Death Star, and confront us directly?_ Vader wondered. _In which case - if I'm HERE, aboard the Executor... Ahh!_ Vader blinked, concerned for his son's safety. _I have to try to talk to him, before he marches straight into the Emperor's throne room._

"Where is that shuttle going?" Vader asked, joining Admiral Piett at the control station.

"Shuttle Tydirium," Piett relayed over the transmitter. "What is your cargo and destination?

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon," the shuttle's pilot replied.

_The forest moon?_ Vader frowned. _If Luke's plan is to confront us, why not just go straight aboard the Death Star? Unless - _"Do they have a code clearance?" Vader asked cautiously. _Maybe they CAN'T get aboard,_ he realized. _So they're trying a more roundabout method..._

"It's an older code, sir, but it checks out," Piett said. _Really?_ "I was about to clear them." _Interesting... _"Shall I hold them?"

"No," Vader said decisively. "Leave them to me," he instructed the Admiral. "I will deal with them myself." Calling for his security team, he headed briskly toward the docking bay. _I need to go down to the forest moon, and talk to Luke before he does anything stupid._

If the Rebels had obtained a code clearance - but were landing on the forest moon anyway - that could mean only one thing: they were hoping to disable the energy shield, in preparation for a full-on attack against the Death Star. But what Luke and Leia didn't realize was that the entire Imperial fleet was currently hiding behind Endor, and that they were walking straight into the Emperor's trap.

_But how did they get a recent landing code?_ Vader wondered. The Rebels were constantly striking at small Imperial outposts, and could easily have obtained a stolen shuttle that way; but getting a code clearance for the Death Star was another matter entirely. Ever since the Bothan incident several months ago, the Empire had heightened its security, and landing codes were changed on a daily basis, shared only among authorized personnel assigned to the Death Star itself.

Suddenly Vader smiled in amusement, guessing the truth. _I was right,_ he realized, as he continued toward the docking bay along with his security team. _We have a Rebel spy in our midst._ He'd suspected it for a while now; all the mysterious failures and delays in the Death Star's production could only be explained by a _second_ saboteur. And now, within hours of the Emperor's arrival, Luke and Leia had suddenly shown up - in a stolen Imperial shuttle, complete with an authorized landing code.

_They have an informant aboard the Death Star,_ Vader realized, amused and proud at the same time. It was probably one of Luke and Leia's Rebel friends, posing as a Stormtrooper; it would be the easiest way to blend in, and escape suspicion. _Speaking of Stormtroopers - I still need to talk to Johnny,_ Vader remembered, dismayed by the thought of saying goodbye to his clone.

_Ahh... Me and my stupid attachments,_ Vader sighed unhappily, feeling a horrible, stabbing pain in his heart. _I've only known him for eight months,_ he chided himself, trying to let go. _He's just a clone; he's not even a real person,_ Vader insisted stubbornly. _Losing him shouldn't hurt more than losing Padme, or my mother... or Obi-Wan... or - myself,_ he protested. But the agony in his heart was more intense than anything he'd ever felt before; it made him feel weak, and dizzy...

_Wait a minute,_ Vader realized, as the world began spinning around at an alarming rate of speed. _This isn't just sadness. This is LTWTL._ He staggered slightly, and felt one of his security guards move in closer, quietly steadying him. _Gah... Don't pass out,_ he scolded himself; but then the darkness closed in around him, and he collapsed to his knees, right there in the _Executor's_ hallway. _Oh crap, this is embarrassing..._

"My Lord," one of his Stormtroopers asked urgently, kneeling beside him; Vader could sense his alarm and concern, and realized it was Johnny. "My Lord, are you all right?"

_Yes, I'm fine,_ Vader wanted to say; he struggled to stand, but pitched forward as his head reeled dizzily. _Ugh... Maybe not,_ he confessed weakly, as Johnny helped him to lie down on the floor. "Call for a medic," Johnny instructed the others. _No, don't do that,_ Vader protested, trying to sit up. _I don't want to cause a scene... _"Sir - just take it easy," Johnny said. "We're going to get you to the medical bay."

_Noooo,_ Vader thought miserably, closing his eyes. _I need to go to the forest moon, and warn Luke..._ But he was overcome by another wave of pain, and shuddered involuntarily, gasping as his eyes widened in shock and alarm.

He was vaguely aware of the overhead lights spinning around in circles, before the darkness overtook him completely.

* * *

"My Lord?" a familiar voice asked. "Sir... Can you hear me?"

Vader opened his eyes to see Johnny peering at him anxiously, his expression deeply concerned. He also noted that he was lying on a gurney in the medical ward, and sighed unhappily, closing his eyes once again. _I'm all right, Johnny. I just need a little rest._ But then he remembered Luke, and opened his eyes again. "How long was I out?" he asked; his mask had been removed, and his voice sounded pathetically feeble.

Johnny glanced apologetically at the chrono on the wall. "Five hours, sir."

_Five hours?_ Vader blinked in alarm, struggling to sit up. _I have to warn Luke,_ he realized, hoping it wasn't too late. _Before he tries to confront the Emperor, or sends the Rebel fleet to attack..._ But he sank back against his pillow, his heart straining from the effort.

"Take it easy, sir," Johnny said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You need to rest. It's all right," he assured him; but Vader could see the grief in his eyes, and felt Johnny's profound unhappiness.

"What is it?" Vader asked helplessly. _Am I too late? Has the Emperor already gotten to Luke?_

Johnny looked down. "My Lord... the Emperor did this to you," he said quietly, giving Vader a questioning look. "Didn't he?"

Vader blinked in alarm. "Did what?"

Johnny gulped, not wanting to tell him the bad news. "Sir, ever since you got back from Coruscant - I can tell you haven't been feeling well," he confessed, his blue eyes filled with grief. "The medical droid said there's nothing wrong with you; but it said - you've lost the will to live," Johnny admitted helplessly, trying to understand.

_Oh... That._ Vader sighed in regret, recalling his own initial shock at the news. "Johnny - "

"What did he do?" Johnny interrupted, unable to hide the bitterness in his tone. "Did he torture you?"

"No," Vader assured him. "Johnny... I have LTWTL," he explained, his voice faltering weakly. "It's a rare terminal illness. I've had it for five years now."

Johnny blinked, caught off guard. "Terminal?" he repeated.

"Yes," Vader breathed weakly. "I haven't got much time left," he informed his clone. _And I had hoped to not have this conversation in a hospital bed,_ he sighed. _I meant to send Johnny away, before it came to this._ "Johnny," he began hesitantly; he'd rehearsed this speech countless times over the past few months, but now that the time had come to say goodbye, he struggled to find the words. "Do you remember what I asked of you... the day we met, on the forest moon?"

"Um..." Johnny looked down. "I remember you asked me a lot of things," he confessed, with a mischievous grin.

Vader smiled despite his pain. "True," he agreed. "But the most important is this," he said quietly. "Live a better life than I have," he instructed his clone, for the third time now. "And be happy." _That's all I've ever wanted for you, Johnny._

"Sir?" Johnny gave him a confused look, not quite following.

"Johnny," Vader said gently. "Have you ever thought about what you would do... If you weren't in the Imperial Army?"

"Uh..." Johnny shrugged. "Sometimes," he admitted.

"And?" Vader asked, curious. "Where would you go?" _Because I'm still trying to figure out where to send you..._

"I don't know... Coruscant, I suppose," Johnny said.

"Coruscant?" Vader repeated. _Right under the Emperor's nose,_ he realized worriedly, masking his alarm. _Yes, I'm glad we're having this conversation._

"Yeah... Well - that's where I'm from," Johnny explained. _Yes, I know. _"I've got friends there," he added, giving Vader a reassuring look. "Really," he promised, as if trying to convince Vader that his dying wish would be honored.

"Friends?" Vader gave him a questioning look; Johnny had never spoken of his life on Coruscant before.

"Yeah," Johnny insisted, nodding confidently. "My old boss, Raq - I used to work at his mechanic shop," he said. "And his daughter... Kalana."

"Kalana?" Vader repeated, surprised; he'd sensed a myriad of emotions at the mention of her name. "What's she like?"

"She's, um - " Johnny looked down, shrugging. "She's beautiful," he said. "And nice, and fun... and smart," he told Vader, with a shy grin. "Sometimes I think about going back home," he confessed, a tone of longing in his voice. "And if I could ever work up the courage - I'd ask her to marry me," Johnny said quietly.

_So,_ Vader realized with amusement. _He's in love with a girl he met in a mechanic shop. Sounds familiar..._ "You love her?"

"Yes," Johnny nodded. "Since the moment I first saw her," he admitted, with an apologetic grin. "I had just started working for her dad, and - well, I was kind of going through a rough time," he explained. "And then - she came into the shop, and smiled at me, and I thought... She's an angel," Johnny said, laughing shyly. "I know, that probably sounds stupid," he apologized, self-conscious.

"Not at all," Vader assured him, smiling fondly. _I know the feeling._ But his smile faded as he realized that Kalana lived on Coruscant - arguably the worst planet for Johnny to retire to. _Though he lived there for two years, without the Emperor sensing him,_ Vader admitted. Coruscant was the most densely-populated planet in the galaxy, and in some ways it was ironically the _best_ place for Johnny to hide, as his presence would be lost amidst billions of other sentient beings.

_Still, it would be safer if he left,_ Vader realized. _But how can I ask him to do that?_ he thought unhappily. _To spend the rest of his life in hiding, running away - when he doesn't even know what he's running from?_ Vader sighed, seeing the futility of that plan. _Even if I DID ask him to run away - he wouldn't do it,_ he confessed with a faint smile, remembering Johnny's stubbornness the day they'd met on the forest moon.

_Johnny's not a runner,_ Vader admitted, gazing at him proudly. _He's a fighter. It's in his blood,_ he realized. _And it's in mine as well,_ Vader sighed, understanding now what he must do. "Johnny," he said quietly. "After I'm gone... Promise me you'll go home, to Coruscant," he pleaded. "Ask Kalana to marry you."

"I - " Johnny's blue eyes were filled with grief, but he nodded respectfully. "Yes, My Lord."

"Good." Vader smiled, closing his eyes for a moment and basking in the boy's comforting presence, soaking in his courage, his youthfulness, his strength... _I can do this,_ he told himself, taking a deep breath and steeling his resolve. _I have to do this. For Johnny... For Luke, and Leia... For Padme... For Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon... For myself._ Opening his eyes, he sat up in bed now, pulling off the oxygen tube from his face.

"Sir?" Johnny asked, alarmed. "My Lord - what are you doing?"

"Going back to work," Vader told him abruptly, putting on his mask and helmet. _I'm making sure that Coruscant will be a safe place for you and Kalana to raise your children. There will be no more running away,_ he vowed, feeling his strength returning, along with his conviction. _This ends today._

"My Lord," Johnny protested worriedly. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"Yes," Vader said, standing up and heading straight for the door. _Ohh; I'm a little dizzy,_ he confessed, blinking away the cobwebs from his vision, while Johnny hurriedly pulled on his own Stormtrooper helmet, chasing after him. _But - more or less... Yeah, I'm all right,_ Vader thought stubbornly, continuing out to the hallway. "Come with me," he ordered his security team, ignoring their obvious surprise as he strode decisively toward the docking bay.

_I am the Chosen One,_ Vader reminded himself, finding renewed determination in his final hour. _The prophecy said I would destroy the Sith, and bring balance to the Force,_ he realized, facing his responsibility head-on. _It is my destiny._

_Though I haven't the strength to do it alone,_ Vader admitted, feeling a grievous pain in his heart. _I will need Luke's help._ The Emperor had foreseen that Luke could destroy them; Vader prayed that his premonition was a true one. _He already knows that Luke is here,_ Vader realized, as he boarded his shuttle and headed back to the Death Star. _That's why he sent me off to the Executor,_ he sighed in annoyance. _He's hoping to face Luke alone, without my interference._

_Nice try, Master,_ Vader glowered dangerously as he marched back through the Death Star's hallways. _But you can't get rid of me that easily._ Taking a deep breath, he focused his concentration, dispersing and fragmenting his presence once again to cover up Johnny's, as he approached the Emperor's throne room.

"Lord Vader," one of Palpatine's crimson guards protested, blocking his path as he arrived at the foyer. "The Emperor is not to be disturbed - _aaaagghhh_," he choked, as an invisible Force slammed him against the wall. Vader stepped calmly through the doorway, and the other guards gave him no trouble as he approached the dais.

Palpatine, however, was unimpressed. "I told you to remain on the command ship," he said testily, not bothering to face him.

_I know you did,_ Vader thought, scowling in defiance. _And yet, here I am._ "A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor," he reported, getting straight to the point. _I'm not here to chit-chat. Just send me down there to deal with this._

But the Emperor seemed unconcerned. "Yes, I know."

_Yes, I know that you know; which is the only reason I'm telling you._ "My son is with them."

The Emperor gave him a surprised look. "Are you sure?"

_What? _Vader blinked worriedly. _He didn't know? _"I have felt him, my Master," he admitted cautiously.

"Strange, that I have not," the Emperor mused. "I wonder if your feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader?"

_MY feelings?_ "They are clear, my Master," Vader assured him. _Though I wonder about yours..._

"Then you must go to the sanctuary moon and wait for him," the Emperor replied.

_Wait..._ "_He_ will come to _me_?" Vader asked, frowning uncertainly.

"I have foreseen it," the Emperor insisted. _Oh, really? You just said you didn't even know he was here,_ Vader sighed, annoyed by his Master's decidedly hit-or-miss prophecies. "His compassion for you will be his undoing," Palpatine predicted. "He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me."

_Yeah, whatever._ "As you wish," Vader said, bowing as he took his leave.

_'I have foreseen it,'_ he grumbled, returning to the docking bay along with his security team. _Right; just like he 'foresaw' how he could save Padme's life, if I turned to the Dark side,_ Vader scowled resentfully, ashamed and embarrassed that he'd ever fallen for that steaming pile of Bantha poodoo. _Hopefully Luke has more sense than I ever did,_ he sighed, boarding his shuttle once again and flying down to the forest moon.

_But how are we going to pull this off?_ Vader wondered, as he arrived at the shield generator. He had killed a Sith Lord once before; but Dooku had only been an Apprentice, and the anger he'd felt paled in comparison to the Dark powers that were needed to defeat a Sith Master - especially one as powerful as Sidious. Windu and Yoda had both tried, and failed miserably; and in twenty-three years, even Vader had been unable to muster the level of anger and hatred required for the task.

But he set aside his thoughts for now, as he was greeted by a young officer, who approached him nervously along with two Stormtroopers. "Sir - Lord Vader," the officer stammered, with a somewhat awkward bow. "We are honored by your presence."

"Where is Commander Aklan?" Vader asked, noting the alarming lack of security here at the shield generator.

"He's taken the troops to the far side of the ridge," the young officer told him. "The Emperor has something special planned; he's brought an entire legion of his own troops, from Coruscant. Commander Aklan is with them now."

_So Palpatine has laid a trap here as well,_ Vader realized, glancing around at the nearly-abandoned facility. "And Commander Marris?" he asked.

"He's patrolling the area, along with the rest of his team," the officer explained. "A small Rebel force was sighted by some of our scouts earlier today, but - " the young man gulped. "My Lord, we haven't heard back from them since."

"I see," Vader said thoughtfully. "And what of the shield generator itself?" he asked; he'd been away on Coruscant this past week, but this entire facility had been plagued with technical problems for months. "Is everything in working order?"

"More or less," the officer told him. "The long-range communicator has been malfunctioning since yesterday, but aside from that, all systems are operational."

"Good work," Vader said, dismissing the young man. _I should try to fix that communicator,_ he sighed, as the officer returned to his post. But then he decided against it, heading up to the lookout tower instead. _If all goes according to my plan, there will soon be no more need for this facility,_ he realized, gazing out across the starlit treetops of the forest moon, as he searched for his son's presence.

_He's here on this moon,_ Vader confirmed. _And he senses me as well,_ he realized, feeling a faint tremor of acknowledgement. Then he smiled in amusement, pinpointing his son's location just over a mile away, to the north. _He's at the Ewok village,_ Vader chuckled to himself, not entirely surprised.

_So, my children have made friends with the locals,_ Vader thought, amused and proud. _No wonder our troops haven't been able to find them._ The Imperials would not go anywhere near the Ewok village, and for good reason; nearly a dozen men had mysteriously vanished in that area over the past several months.

_But will Luke really come to me?_ Vader wondered again. He didn't entirely trust his Master's foresight, but Palpatine's most recent prophesy was admittedly disturbing. _'His compassion for you will be his undoing.'_

_Am I doing the right thing here? _Vader asked himself again, as the Emperor's words echoed in his mind. _Or am I just luring my son to his doom?_ His heart sank at the thought. _Has this been Palpatine's plan, all along?_ Tears of grief filled his eyes as he gazed out across the starlit forest. _Luke... I don't know about this,_ Vader confessed, closing his eyes and bowing his head in dismay. _Force, help me, _he prayed with quiet desperation._ I don't know what to do. _

Vader wasn't certain how long he had been lost in meditation, but presently one of his questions was answered, as he sensed Luke drawing closer. _So, he is coming here after all,_ he realized, opening his eyes again. Then he turned in surprise as the elevator door opened nearby, and a solitary Stormtrooper joined him in the lookout tower.

"TK-421," Vader surmised, noting his distinct lack of a Force presence. "Why aren't you at your post?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Johnny apologized. "I wanted to make sure you were feeling all right."

Vader smiled behind his mask, his heart warming at Johnny's concern. "I'm fine," he assured him. _Thank you for asking._

"All right," Johnny nodded. "I'll be down on the landing platform if you need me."

Vader nodded appreciatively, as Johnny took his leave. _I'm going to miss him,_ he confessed, feeling an ache in his heart. _My time here is nearly finished,_ he admitted. _But at least I'm not going to die in a hospital bed,_ he smiled ruefully. _I'm going to go out fighting,_ Vader resolved once again, gathering his courage. _This is the moment I have been waiting for, my entire life,_ he knew. _This is what I was born to do,_ Vader told himself. _It is my destiny._

_And Luke has come here, to help me,_ he realized, sensing his son's presence nearby now. _Or perhaps it is the other way around,_ Vader considered. _Perhaps I am here to help him?_ The prophecy foretold that Vader would destroy the Sith, but the Emperor had foreseen that Luke might do it. _In any case, the time has come to make our final stand against the Emperor,_ he realized, stepping onto the elevator and heading down to meet his son. _We will do this, together._

Vader arrived at the landing platform, stepping off the elevator and nearly plowing into the young officer in charge of the facility. "I'm - I'm sorry... My Lord," the officer stammered, blinking in surprise as he took a step backward. "I was just coming to find you," he apologized. "Commander Marris has found one of the Rebels," he informed Vader. _Yes, I know._ "Apparently he turned himself in; they're on their way here now."

"Good work," Vader said, turning to his security team. "TK-421," he said, as Johnny stepped forward. "And - you," he added curtly, nodding to the nearest Stormtrooper. "Come with me." He stepped back onto the elevator along with his two security guards, pressing the button for the bridge level. "Wait here," he commanded them as the door opened; then he strode out onto the bridge to meet Luke.

A few moments later the opposite door opened, and Vader's heart fluttered as he glimpsed his son for the first time in over a year. _He's beautiful,_ he realized once again, feeling Luke's calm, centered presence. He was dressed in black today, which Vader found surprising; disturbing in a way, though at the same time strangely comforting... Then he blinked worriedly, noting the black glove on his son's right hand.

_What is that for?_ Vader wondered, alarmed. _Has he - has he been injured?_ His heart sank at the thought, and he felt a sudden wave of protective anger. _Luke... What happened?_ Then his eyes widened as a hazy memory of Cloud City flashed through his mind, of Luke's blue lightsaber flying down into the abyss... _No,_ Vader told himself, refusing to believe it. _It's not possible..._ He gulped, admitting that he'd inhaled an alarming amount of Tibanna gas that day, and that his vision - as well as his judgement - had been hopelessly impaired at the time.

_I didn't do that,_ Vader prayed desperately. _It's just a glove... Probably a fashion statement; kids these days,_ he tried to convince himself. _Luke - please tell me I didn't do that... Oh, crap, I did it, _he realized miserably, seeing the look of reproach in his son's eyes now. _I am the Worst Father Ever._

"This is the Rebel that surrendered to us," Commander Marris informed him, as they stepped onto the bridge. _Yeah... Hi, Luke,_ Vader thought morosely, trying to bury his dismay, and shame. _I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... _"Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area. He was armed only with this," he said, handing over Luke's lightsaber.

_Right,_ Vader thought, focusing. "Good work, Commander," he said. "Leave us. Conduct your search, and bring his companions to me." _Feel free to try, that is,_ he thought wryly, realizing that Leia and the others would be perfectly safe from Marris and his team, especially if they had enlisted the Ewoks' help.

Commander Marris and his men took their leave, and Vader gathered his courage, turning his attention to Luke now. "The Emperor has been expecting you," he said, leading the way back across the bridge. _And by the way - I'm really sorry, about your hand._

"I know, Father," Luke said. _What?_ Vader blinked, caught off guard. _You know - that I'm sorry? Or that the Emperor is expecting you?_ After their last encounter on Bespin, they had exchanged a few telepathic messages, and Vader cautiously guarded his thoughts now, uncertain how much Luke understood.

_He called me 'Father' though,_ Vader realized, his heart fluttering. "So, you have accepted the truth?" he asked hopefully.

"I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father," Luke replied.

Vader winced, feeling a sudden intense, stabbing pain in his chest. _Owww, Luke... _"That name no longer has any meaning for me," he protested darkly, failing to conceal his anger and profound shame. _Please don't say that, ever again._

"It is the name of your true self," Luke told him. "You've only forgotten." _No, I haven't, _Vader sighed._ I remember it all too well._ "I know there is good in you," Luke continued, somewhat reproachfully. _Gah... _"The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully." _Come on; can we please change the subject?_ "That was why you couldn't destroy me," Luke said calmly, turning away from him. "That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now."

Vader felt the hint of Force suggestion in his son's words, and smiled with fond regret. _Nice try, Luke. But it's not going to work._ "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber," he said, igniting it experimentally. _Green, eh? Not bad..._ "Your skills are complete," Vader complimented him, retracting it again. "Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen." _We can do this, Luke. We can destroy him. It is our destiny._

"Come with me," Luke said abruptly; again, Vader felt the distinct tug of a Force command in his tone, and smiled wistfully.

"Obi-Wan once thought as you do," he admitted, his heart aching as he thought of his old Master. _You can't solve everything with mind tricks and negotiations,_ he sighed; he and Obi-Wan had argued over this countless times. _Some situations require more drastic measures._ "You don't know the power of the Dark side," Vader warned his son. _Only anger and hatred can destroy the Emperor. _"I must obey my Master." _It's the only way, Luke. I have to bring you to him now, so we can confront him, together._

"I will not turn," Luke countered. "And you'll be forced to kill me."

Vader smiled indulgently. _That's not going to happen, Luke. _"If that is your destiny," he conceded, with a respectful nod. _But I don't think it is._

"Search your feelings, Father," Luke protested. "You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate."

_My hate is for the Emperor. And I will need it, if I am to kill him._ "It is too late for me, son," Vader apologized quietly. _I'm dying, Luke. This is my last chance to fight back against the Emperor. I cannot afford to let go of my anger now._

_And Luke will need a considerable amount of hatred too, if we are to succeed at this,_ Vader sighed, realizing he needed to start working up his son's anger as well. _I've already chopped off his hand; this shouldn't be too difficult._ "The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force," Vader said coldly, gesturing for his guards. _That's right, Luke. Go ahead. Hate me._ "He is your Master now." _There we go,_ he cringed, feeling the cruel stab of his son's disapproval. _That's a good start._

Luke struggled to conceal his profound contempt. "Then my father is truly dead."

_I will be soon enough, Luke,_ Vader sighed in regret, as Johnny and the other guard escorted Luke to the elevator. _This isn't going to be easy,_ he admitted, remaining behind on the bridge and gazing out through the forest. _I love you, Luke,_ he confessed quietly, bowing his head. _But love isn't going to destroy the Emperor. Only hatred can do that,_ Vader realized, facing the truth. _So now I must get my own son to hate me, in order to save him._

_It's cruel, _Vader admitted unhappily. _But there is no other way._ This would be the most difficult task he had ever faced; he would have to work up Luke's anger - and his own - to levels beyond anything they'd ever felt before, without allowing the Emperor to control either of them. _I will need to focus all of my energy on this,_ he confessed with a heavy sigh, remembering his _other_ problem. _I cannot keep fragmenting my presence, to cover for Johnny._

_I have to send him away from here,_ Vader realized. He'd meant to do it earlier; he wanted to send the boy someplace far away, where he would be safe from Rebel attacks, and the Emperor's evil clutches. _But Johnny's a stubborn one,_ Vader knew, smiling fondly. _Even a mind trick is likely to fail, with him. _

_He will refuse to leave,_ Vader confessed; then he frowned thoughtfully. _Unless..._ He blinked as another idea came to him. _Unless I send him on an important mission,_ Vader realized, heading back up to the landing platform. _That's it! An important mission - to Coruscant,_ he decided, smiling mischievously. _But why? I was just there, for a week,_ Vader mused. _Perhaps I accidentally left something there; something important... Yes! My LTWTL medication,_ he thought, pleased with his plan.

In reality, there _was_ no medication for LTWTL; but Johnny seemed to know nothing about the illness. _It's a rare experimental medication; one that cannot be easily obtained,_ he decided, working out his story. _That's why I've been feeling so ill today; Johnny has sensed it,_ he knew. _He will do this for me,_ Vader felt certain, as he stepped off the elevator and onto the landing platform. "TK-421," he called out sternly, unable to discern which of his Stormtroopers was in fact his own clone.

"He went to the refresher, My Lord," one of the other Stormtroopers informed him.

_Ah..._ With a curt nod, Vader stepped back onto the elevator. _Good; I need to speak with him alone anyway,_ he thought, heading down to the main level. _This is perfect,_ he realized. There was an extra shuttle docked just outside; Johnny could take it, and go straight to Coruscant from here. _He'll be safe from the Rebel attacks... And from the Emperor,_ Vader vowed, gathering his strength and resolve at the urgency of protecting Johnny. _I will MAKE it safe._

He stepped off the elevator on the main level, and proceeded to the control room, where the refresher was located. But then he stopped suddenly, his brows furrowing in surprise as he heard Johnny speaking in a low voice, nearly a whisper. _Who is he talking to?_ Vader wondered, switching off his ventilator so he could hear better.

"General Mothma - can you hear me?" Johnny whispered urgently. _Mothma?_ Vader blinked in confusion. _What? _"General Mothma... I just found out the whole Imperial fleet is here, hiding behind Endor," Johnny continued quietly; Vader could sense his anxiety. _You've got to be kidding me..._ Silently, he stepped inside the control room, and saw Johnny with his Stormtrooper helmet off, speaking in a hushed voice over the long-range communicator. _YOU'RE the Rebel spy?_

"It's a trap," Johnny warned Mothma. "The Emperor must have known you would come. There's a whole - " Johnny glanced furtively over his shoulder, then broke off suddenly as he saw Vader standing there in the doorway. His face fell, and there was a look of guilt and dread in his eyes; but then he gulped, turning back to the transmitter.

"There's a whole legion of Stormtroopers here on the forest moon," Johnny blurted out quickly, realizing he was caught. "Luke's going aboard the Death Star now. You have to call off the attack. And tell Leia and the others to get off this moon... It's a trap - everyone knows you're here," Johnny warned her again, casting a regretful look at Vader. "I have to go now," he said quietly, hanging his head. "May the Force be with you." He switched off the transmitter, then turned to face Vader, accepting his doom.

"So," Vader said quietly, at length. "You've been spying for the Rebels all along?"

Johnny looked down, swallowing. "Yes, sir."

_My own clone... My best friend... My ONLY friend... Has been plotting to kill me, this whole time._ Vader's heart sank at the revelation, but strangely he felt no anger; only acceptance, and a certain sense of amused pride. _Good for you, Johnny._ "Then - you know Luke?" he asked, curious.

Johnny gave him a knowing look. "He's my best friend, sir."

Vader smiled quietly behind his mask. _Is he? I'm glad..._ Then he frowned as another realization came to him. _If he's friends with Luke, then he probably knows what I said to him in Cloud City._ "So - you know who I am?" he asked cautiously.

Johnny nodded; he looked regretful, but understanding. "Yes, sir."

_So, he knows I'm Luke's father,_ Vader guessed, comforted by the thought. _But how much does he know?_ "And... Do you know who _you_ are?" he asked pointedly. _Is it possible he's known the truth, all along?_

"Sir?" Johnny gave him a surprised look. They had never spoken of his background before, and he was obviously confused and alarmed by the question. "What... What do you mean?" he stammered, caught off guard. _So, he doesn't know,_ Vader sighed, admittedly disappointed, but at the same time relieved. _Yes... It is better this way._

"TK-421," Vader informed his clone reproachfully, dispelling the boy's suspicions. "You are the Worst Stormtrooper Ever."

Johnny looked down. "Yes, sir," he agreed meekly; but as he met Vader's masked gaze, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. Then his expression quickly turned to apology, and regret. "I'm sorry, sir," he said quietly. _Yes, Johnny; I know you are. _

"You're fired," Vader told him abruptly.

Johnny blinked. "Fired?" he repeated stupidly; Darth Vader had never fired an employee in his entire career, and Johnny had clearly been expecting a far more lethal form of termination.

"Yes," Vader said. "Go," he instructed him now. "Help - " _my daughter -_ "the Princess," he beseeched Johnny. "I sense she's nearby," he told him, turning his gaze toward the forest; he could sense her drawing closer as they spoke. "Warn her to call off the attack. It's a trap."

Johnny looked decidedly confused by this order, but nodded obediently. "Yes, sir."

"And by the way," Vader added wryly. "Your transmission didn't go through," he informed him. "Sabotaging the communications system yesterday was perhaps not the wisest course of action," he reproached his clone, guessing that Johnny was behind the mysterious technical malfunctions that had plagued this station for months.

"But - I didn't," Johnny protested, alarmed by the accusation.

Vader blinked in surprise. "You didn't?"

"No, sir. I mean - I've wrecked some things," Johnny confessed. "A lot of things... I'm sorry," he said, giving Vader an apologetic look. "But not lately," he promised. "Not since you got summoned to Coruscant. I swear," he insisted.

Vader frowned in utter confusion. _Well then who in the blazes did this?_ he wondered, baffled. _It really IS cursed..._ "In any case, your transmission failed," he told Johnny. "So, I take it the Rebel fleet is planning a full assault on the Death Star?" he asked.

Johnny sighed unhappily. "Yes, sir," he confessed.

_They'll be slaughtered,_ Vader realized, his heart sinking. _Unless - _"Go," he instructed Johnny urgently, heading for the doorway. "Take care of the Princess." _If Luke and I can kill the Emperor before the Rebel fleet arrives, we can call this whole thing off._

"I will, sir," Johnny promised; but then he gave Vader a pleading look. "My Lord... Come with us."

Vader bowed his head in regret. _I wish it were that simple._ "No, Johnny," he said gently. "My destiny lies along a different path. Luke and I must confront the Emperor, together." _I'm dying, Johnny. This is my last chance to do this. If the Emperor escapes in the confusion, you'll never be safe again._ "Go," Vader told Johnny. "Protect the Princess," he implored him once again. "And - my son... should he survive."

"Yes, sir," Johnny nodded obediently, reaching for his helmet.

"But Johnny," Vader added, as the boy gave him a curious look. "If Luke and I should fail at our task... Promise me you will stay far away from the Emperor," he pleaded fervently. "Do not under any circumstances allow him to control you." _As he did me,_ he sighed.

Johnny didn't fully understand the danger behind Vader's warning, but nodded in solemn agreement. "I won't, sir."

"And Johnny," Vader reminded him quietly. "Do you remember, what you promised me earlier?" _Go home, to Coruscant. Ask Kalana to marry you. _He smiled fondly at his clone, realizing that this would be their last goodbye. _Live a better life than I have, Johnny. And be happy._

Johnny nodded, managing a grateful, apologetic smile. "I remember, sir."

Vader pointed a stern finger at him now. "Do not fail me, TK-421."

Johnny grinned shyly, looking down. "I won't, sir," he promised; there was a look of sincere regret in his eyes as he met Vader's gaze. "My Lord... It's been an honor. Truly," he insisted. "May the Force be with you." Johnny pulled on his Stormtrooper helmet; and with a final respectful nod, he left to fulfill his own destiny, walking out the door and vanishing into the forest in a shimmer of brilliant white, as Vader gazed after him through tear-blurred eyes.


	23. The Empire strikes out

**Chapter 23**

Leia peered anxiously from behind a fallen log as Vader's shuttle lifted off, returning to the Death Star. "The main entrance to the control bunker is on the far side of that landing platform," she told the others. "This isn't going to be easy."

"Hey, don't worry," Han assured her. "Chewie and me got into a lot of places more heavily guarded than this." _That's the whole problem,_ Leia thought, noting the suspicious lack of security surrounding the shield generator. _This has to be a trap._

"Yub yub!" their Ewok friend said now. "Ny thum! Chibuki-uki!"

Leia gave Threepio a curious look. "What's he saying?"

"He says there's a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge."

_Well that sounds like a better plan... _"Can you take us there?"

Wicket nodded enthusiastically, leading the way through the forest; but suddenly he dropped to the ground, rolling into some thick underbrush. Leia and Han shared a concerned glance, but quickly took cover as well, trusting the little Ewok's instincts.

Cautiously, Leia peered out from behind a tree. _What is it?_ Then she spotted him: a solitary Stormtrooper, making his way through the forest. Han saw him too, and quietly trained his blaster on the newcomer; but Leia shook her head in warning. _This could be a trap as well_.

Besides, her senses were telling her... _Something._ Just hours ago Leia had learned the truth of her Jedi heritage, and now she closed her eyes, focusing. _I feel - something familiar,_ she confessed... Suddenly she opened her eyes, grinning. "It's Johnny," Leia announced, coming out from her hiding place as Han gave her an uncertain look. The Stormtrooper spotted her, and waved in friendly greeting, pulling off his helmet as he rushed over to join them.

"Johnny!" Leia exclaimed, hugging him. _I've missed you,_ she thought wistfully, realizing it had been eight months since they'd seen each other.

"Leia!" Johnny said, embracing her. "Hey - General," he added to Han, with a playful salute.

"Yeah, yeah." Han waved it off, shaking his head. "So, what's going on... What are you doing out here?"

"Ah," Johnny sighed. "I got fired," he confessed; his expression was apologetic, but he couldn't suppress a happy grin to see them again.

"Fired?" Leia repeated, surprised. _He looks the same as ever,_ she thought, as Johnny ran a hand absently through his hair, pushing back an unruly golden-brown lock. "What happened?"

"Uh... Long story," Johnny said. "Actually," he admitted hesitantly, "Vader sent me to help you guys."

"To help us?" Leia gave him a confused look. "Vader sent you?" _Luke was right, _she realized._ There is still good in him... I've felt it as well._

"Yeah," Johnny nodded. "He caught me trying to send a message to General Mothma, and, well - I'm supposed to warn you: there's a whole legion of Stormtroopers about a half mile from here," he told them, casting a worried glance over his shoulder. "The Empire knows you're here. They left the shield generator unguarded on purpose. It's a trap."

"Right," Leia agreed. _I thought so..._ "Wicket says there's a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge; we're heading over there now."

Johnny frowned uncertainly. "Who's Wicket?"

"He's - " Leia looked around, surprised. _Where did he go?_

"Grrrrrr," came a fierce growling sound, as their furry companion emerged from the underbrush, brandishing his spear in Johnny's direction.

"Wicket - no," Leia said, in gentle reproach. "He's our friend."

"Chikub?" Wicket asked, cocking his head as he peered cautiously at Johnny.

"Um... Hi," Johnny said, equally wary of the little creature. "What - you guys made _friends_ with them?" he asked, staring at the Ewok in disbelief. "How?"

Han rolled his eyes, shrugging dismissively. "Long story - "

" - And rather embarrassing, if I might say," Threepio chimed in. "You see, it seems the local inhabitants are under the impression that I am some type of - "

He broke off as a hand was clamped over his mouth.

"Anyway," Han continued, as Johnny blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of all this. "We're heading over to the secret entrance; hopefully we can disable the shield from there."

"Ah," Johnny said, nodding. "Yeah, that's the control bunker; you should be able to get inside," he agreed. "But there's about fifty guys over there," he warned them.

"No problem," Han assured him.

"Rrrraaaauuughh," Chewie added confidently.

"We'll be careful," Leia promised, giving Johnny an appreciative smile; then she looked at him uncertainly. "Wait... Aren't you coming?"

"No," Johnny apologized, glancing back toward the distant ridge. "I have to go deal with the others," he said. "If the guys at the control bunker call for backup, you're gonna be screwed," he pointed out. "I'll see if I can hold them off."

"Oh." Leia blinked in concern, remembering the entire legion of reserve troops Johnny had warned them about. "Wait... How are you going to hold them off?"

Johnny grinned, shaking his head. "No idea," he admitted cheerfully. "I'm making this up as I go along," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "I'll see you guys when this is over, all right?"

Leia sighed in concern, hugging him again. "Be careful."

Johnny nodded appreciatively. "You too."

"Good luck," Han said, as Johnny pulled his Stormtrooper helmet back on, preparing for his mission. "You're gonna need it."

Johnny waved in reply; then he turned, heading back through the forest as Leia gazed after him, feeling a tug of anxiety in her heart. _Be safe, Johnny._

Then she caught Han's hurt look, and rolled her eyes. _No, Han, I'm not in love with Johnny,_ she sighed. _Or Luke either, _she wanted to say; Leia still hadn't told Han about their conversation last night, but this was not the time for it.

_I love YOU,_ she admitted, giving Han a reassuring smile as they continued on toward the control bunker. _You scoundrel..._

But as they passed through a clearing in the dense forest, Leia caught a glimpse of the Death Star looming above them, and felt a sudden twinge of apprehension.

_Please, Luke,_ she prayed silently, concerned for her brother. _Come back in one piece._

_

* * *

_

_How are we going to pull this off?_ Vader wondered once again, as he and Luke arrived at the Emperor's throne room, slowly ascending the steps to the dais.

_It would have been better if I'd explained the plan to Luke, on our way here,_ he admitted. But communication had never been Vader's strong point, and it was a difficult topic to bring up. _Hello, son. I love you. Let's kill Sidious together. _

The last time he'd tried to speak of it had been in Cloud City, and that had not gone well. They'd both been smashed on Tibanna gas, and Vader had babbled on vaguely about 'ruling the galaxy' and 'destiny' - embarrassingly unaware that he'd just chopped off Luke's hand.

_No wonder he hates me,_ Vader sighed, sensing his son's cold disapproval now. _I'm sorry, Luke..._ But on the other hand, _hatred_ was vital to their success today, so Vader attempted to bury his regret for the moment, focusing on the task at hand.

"Welcome, young Skywalker," the Emperor said, swiveling his throne around to face them. "I have been expecting you. You'll no longer need those," he added, lifting a finger to release Luke's handcuffs. "Guards... Leave us."

Obediently, Palpatine's crimson guards exited through the foyer, leaving the three of them alone in the cold, dark throne room. "I'm looking forward to completing your training," the Emperor continued. "In time, you will call me Master." _Not if I can help it,_ Vader thought.

"You're gravely mistaken," Luke informed the Emperor, with an air of calm self-assurance. "You won't convert me, as you did my father." _You tell him, Luke._

"Oh no, my young Jedi," Palpatine countered, getting up from his throne and approaching him slowly. "You will find that it is _you_ who are mistaken... about a great many things."

It was a rather childish, parroting retort, and Luke gave the Emperor a mildly annoyed look now, as Vader sighed in commiseration. _I know, son. I've had to deal with him for twenty-three years._ "His lightsaber," Vader said, handing it over to Palpatine.

"Ah, yes. A Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's," Palpatine said. "By now you must know your father can never be turned form the Dark side. So will it be with you."

"You're wrong," Luke replied, with calm defiance. "Soon I'll be dead, and you with me."

The Emperor laughed. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet," he said. "Yes; I assure you we are quite safe from your _friends_ here." He spat the word disdainfully, turning back toward the window.

"Your overconfidence is your weakness," Luke warned him.

"Your faith in your friends is yours," the Emperor countered.

Luke had remained admirably calm through all of this, and Vader sighed, realizing this conversation was going nowhere. "It is pointless to resist, my son," he said. _Don't try to fight it, Luke. Give in to your anger. Only hatred can destroy a Sith Lord._

"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design," Palpatine gloated, sitting back down on his throne. "Your friends up there on the sanctuary moon are walking into a trap. As is your Rebel fleet. It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them," he informed Luke.

"Oh," the Emperor added, with an air of mock sympathy. "I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive."

_You might be surprised on that count,_ Vader thought, hiding a wry smile. _Johnny's out there helping them, right now. He's been spying for the Rebels this whole time,_ Vader realized once again with proud amusement, though he still felt rather embarrassed for never having seen it himself.

_That one is not to be underestimated._

_

* * *

_

_How the hell am I going to hold off an entire legion of Stormtroopers?_ Johnny wondered, as he arrived at the makeshift Imperial base on the other side of the shield generator.

_I've been fired; I don't even have clearance to be here,_ Johnny confessed. _And on top of that,_ he sighed, feeling admittedly uncomfortable. _I really have to pee._

_Okay; first things first,_ Johnny decided, heading toward the Commander's shuttle. _Quick stop at the 'fresher, and then... What?_ he blinked uncertainly, still trying to figure out his plan.

"Hey!" came a voice from behind him. "You there... TK-421," Commander Aklan said, glancing disapprovingly at his badge. "Why aren't you at your post?"

Johnny sighed wearily. _I've been fired. I don't HAVE a post any more._ "Uh... Just going to the refresher," he said with a polite nod, continuing toward the command shuttle.

"That's for officers only," Aklan informed him. "Stormtroopers are to use the latrine."

_Yuck..._ "I hate the latrine," Johnny grumbled, climbing up the ramp and into the shuttle. As one of Vader's personal bodyguards, he'd grown accustomed to receiving certain special privileges over the past few months. Besides, Aklan was a pushover, Johnny knew; all bark and no bite. _What's he going to do, stop me from peeing?_

But it appeared that was in fact Aklan's plan. "Hey!" he called after Johnny now, following him up the ramp. _Seriously?_ Johnny blinked in disbelief. _Don't you have something more important to do? _Aklan appeared to be the only one in charge here; but as usual, he was exhibiting abysmal leadership skills, choosing to micromanage Johnny's biological functions rather than supervising the rest of the troops.

"Hey! Laserbrain," Aklan said, still chasing him. _Laserbrain?_ Johnny scowled, turning around. _That's not very nice..._ "I'm talking to you - " He broke off abruptly as Johnny punched him in the face.

_Sorry,_ Johnny sighed in annoyance, stepping over Aklan's unconscious body and into the refresher. _I just REALLY have to pee._

_Laserbrain?_ Johnny thought again indignantly, as he flushed the toilet afterward, and washed his hands. _I could manage this operation a whole lot better than YOU do,_ he grumbled, casting a disdainful glance at Aklan's unconscious form as he came back out of the refresher.

_And now it looks like I'll have to,_ Johnny realized, glancing toward the shuttle's doorway, where a legion of Stormtroopers awaited Aklan's orders. He still hadn't quite formulated a plan for holding them off; but if he _had_ come up with a plan, Johnny admitted that taking out the Commander would have probably been a logical first step.

_Damn, this uniform is ugly,_ Johnny sighed, pulling off his Stormtrooper armor and donning Aklan's clothes instead. _And it's missing a button,_ he noted, frowning at his tunic. _Ah well,_ he shrugged. _It'll have to do..._ The pants were a little too short for him, and the boots a bit small, but Johnny managed to yank them onto his feet, ignoring the discomfort.

_All right... Into the supply closet with you,_ Johnny decided, binding Aklan's hands behind his back and finding a lightweight towel to use as a gag. "And that's _Commander_ Laserbrain," Johnny corrected Aklan reproachfully, as he stuffed him into the supply closet, along with his Stormtrooper armor.

_No; that doesn't quite have the right ring to it,_ Johnny confessed, putting on Aklan's officer cap and carefully tucking his hair up inside. _Moff Laserbrain?_ he considered, realizing that all Imperial officers wore the exact same green uniform, regardless of rank.

_Or maybe - Grand Moff Laserbrain?_ Johnny thought, grinning mischievously. _Sure, why not,_ he decided with amusement, casting a final critical glance at his uniform before heading back outside to meet with the troops. _Like any of these guys are going to check..._

"Sir!" a voice called out to him now; Johnny turned to see a young officer hurrying toward him. "Sir - " The young man broke off, blinking in surprise. "Who are you?"

Johnny stood up straighter, trying to look important. "I'm Grand Moff La - " _Ahh, damn it..._ "Grand Moff Doe," he informed the officer. "What is it?"

"Oh." The officer's brows furrowed in momentary confusion, but he nodded, accepting it. "Sir, we just received word from Commander Marris at the control bunker," he explained worriedly. "They've captured a small band of Rebels, but have come under attack by Ewoks. Commander Marris requests urgent backup."

"No," Johnny said curtly. "We're to wait here," he told the officer. "Emperor's orders."

"But sir," the officer protested. "Commander Marris has only fifty men. They won't stand a chance against the Ewoks; they need our help - "

Johnny gave him a challenging look. "Perhaps you'd like to explain that to the Emperor himself?" he suggested, unimpressed.

The young man gulped. "No, sir."

"Good," Johnny said. "Our orders are to stay here," he repeated calmly, as the officer nodded in fervent agreement. "Until I receive word from the Emperor personally."

_Which isn't going to happen,_ Johnny prayed, casting an anxious glance up at the Death Star. _Because Luke and Vader are going to kill him, _he told himself. _At least, that's the plan, _he sighed unhappily, admitting that they were both completely nuts for even trying.

_Come on, Luke, _Johnny thought, realizing that Han and Leia would have the shield down any minute now. _Whatever you and Vader are doing - try to finish it up, _he sighed worriedly._ Quit messing around, and get the hell out of there before the fleet attacks._

_

* * *

_

"There is no escape, my young Apprentice," Palpatine said, as Luke gazed helplessly out the window at the massive Imperial fleet. "The Alliance will die, as will your friends."

Luke had been resisting the Emperor's taunts so far; but now he glanced uncertainly at his lightsaber hilt, which lay beside Palpatine's hand.

"Good," Palpatine said, with a self-satisfied smile. "I can feel your anger. I am defenseless," he pointed out. "Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred," he challenged Luke. "And your journey towards the Dark side will be complete."

_Don't do it, Luke,_ Vader thought, moving a hand closer to his own lightsaber. _It's exactly what he wants._ He realized that if Luke were to strike at the Emperor now, his anger would be deflected back at him in the form of Sith lightning, and in his momentary weakness he could be very easily turned.

_I can't allow that to happen,_ Vader reminded himself; he knew that a newly-turned Sith Apprentice was highly impressionable, and would do virtually anything his Master asked of him. _Such as slaughter younglings,_ he sighed, feeling a stab of profound remorse.

Luke turned away once more, resisting the temptation; but suddenly he turned back, summoning his lightsaber into his hand and striking against Palpatine. _Crap..._ Instantly, Vader lit his own red saber, bringing it up to stop Luke's attack, as the Emperor cackled in gleeful amusement.

_Terrific,_ Vader sighed, fighting back in self-defense as Luke attacked _him_ now, lashing out with righteous vengeance. _This isn't exactly what I had in mind..._ But at least Luke was angry now; that was progress. _If I can turn him MYSELF, I'll be able to control him,_ Vader realized, countering Luke's attacks as they continued their fight in front of the Emperor.

But there was one slight problem with that plan: Luke had gotten much better at lightsaber fighting since their last encounter in Cloud City. _You've been practicing,_ Vader realized, impressed by his son's considerable skill. _And I haven't,_ he admitted, with an unhappy sigh.

"Ahhhhh!" Vader groaned suddenly, as Luke kicked him down the steps of the dais, knocking him into a backwards somersault. _Damn it, Luke, try to go easy on me... I've had a rough day, _he confessed, recalling that he'd spent five hours in the medical ward earlier.

"Good," Palpatine said, as Vader struggled to get up from the floor. _Ughh..._ "Use your aggressive feelings, boy," he instructed Luke. "Let the hate flow through you."

_That's right, _Vader agreed, fighting dizziness as he stood up again. _But give me a second here, _he sighed wearily. _I'm having an LTWTL moment, _he confessed, feeling suddenly ill.

As if sensing his infirmity, Luke hesitated now, cautiously retracting his lightsaber.

_Thanks, Luke. _"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Vader said, stalling for time as he caught his breath.

"I will not fight you, Father," Luke said quietly.

Vader could feel his pity, and it shamed him. _I wasn't always this pathetic, Luke. I wish you could have known me before -_ He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the painful thought away.

_Focus,_ he told himself, fighting dizziness as he slowly climbed the steps up to the dais. Luke backed away cautiously; Vader sensed his uncertainty and confusion. _He knows I'm almost ready to pass out._

"You are unwise to lower your defenses," Vader reproached him, igniting his red saber and slashing at Luke once again. _I need him to hate me, not feel sorry for me,_ he realized, as they continued their fight.

This time Luke went easy on him, defending himself but not pushing Vader too hard; but a moment later they got stuck in lightsaber lock. The longest lightsaber lock of Vader's entire life. _Unless you count the time Obi-Wan and I tried to go for the galactic record - Gah... Focus,_ Vader scowled, holding his own as his son strained under the pressure.

_He's weakening,_ Vader sensed, as Luke grimaced slightly, struggling to hold his position. _That's a good sign. Now if I can just get him to turn to the Dark side - Damn it,_ Vader sighed unhappily, as Luke managed to twist his way out of it, somersaulting up onto the catwalk above him.

Luke retracted his saber, and Vader remained below, feeling incredibly stupid. _I can't do it,_ he confessed, dizzy and exhausted. _If I try to jump up there I'll pass out. This is not going well..._

"Your thoughts betray you, Father," Luke said. "I feel the good in you. The conflict."

_Shh! Luke, don't say that out loud,_ Vader blinked worriedly. _The last thing I need is for Sidious to guess what I'm up to._ "There is no conflict," he insisted. _Come on, Luke. Get back down here and fight me._

"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before," Luke pointed out. "And I don't believe you'll destroy me now."

_No, I'd never do that, Luke,_ Vader sighed, wishing once again that he'd had the courage to fill Luke in on his plan before they came here. _But I DO have to turn you, so that we can kill the Emperor together._

"You underestimate the power of the Dark side," Vader reminded his son. _Only hatred can destroy Sidious_. "If you will not fight..." _Then what?_ he wondered. _How the hell am I going to get him down from there?_ Sighing, he came up with an embarrassingly stupid plan. "Then you will meet your destiny!" Vader announced, throwing his lightsaber toward Luke in a deadly twirling arc, and bringing the entire bridge down with a resounding crash.

"Hahahahahahaha," Palpatine cackled, enjoying the show. "Good... good..."

_Thanks; glad you find it entertaining,_ Vader sighed, descending the steps of the dais and retrieving his lightsaber again. _But at least I got Luke down from there,_ he consoled himself, igniting his saber.

_Right?_ Vader blinked, turning around uncertainly. _Crap - where did he go now? _He could sense his son's presence nearby, but it was faint and elusive. _Great..._ "You cannot hide forever, Luke," Vader called out to his son wearily. _This is a lightsaber duel, not hide-and-seek._

"I will not fight you," came Luke's reply, from the shadows.

_You HAVE to, Luke. _"Give yourself to the Dark side," Vader implored his son. "It is the only way to save your friends." _The only way to save Johnny, and Leia..._ He blinked suddenly, a thought occurring to him. _Does he even know about Leia?_ Vader still wasn't entirely certain how much Obi-Wan had told the boy; his old Master had been alarmingly senile the last time they'd met, and it was possible he'd forgotten to tell Luke about his sister.

_I have to tell him,_ Vader realized, his heart sinking. _I have to make sure he knows the truth, before I'm gone. _"Yes," he said now, sensing Luke's heartache at the mention of his doomed friends. "Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong," Vader observed.

"Especially for... _Sister,_" he said cautiously, gauging Luke's reaction. _All right; so he DOES know,_ Vader confirmed, sensing Luke's sudden fear. _Fear leads to the Dark side..._ "So, you have a twin sister," Vader continued quickly, going straight for his weak spot. _Hopefully this will work._ "Your feelings have now betrayed her too," he informed his son coldly.

He could feel Luke's utter dismay, and pressed on. "Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me," Vader said, goading his son to anger. "Now his failure is complete. If _you_ will not turn to the Dark side," he threatened Luke, feeling his son's mounting despair and frustration. "Then perhaps _she_ will."

"Never!" Luke yelled, igniting his lightsaber and emerging from the shadows as his anger reached the boiling point. _Okay, that did it, _Vader blinked, alarmed by the intensity of Luke's righteous wrath as they began fighting again. _Holy crap, Luke, take it easy,_ he thought, frantically struggling to defend himself against his son's furious onslaught.

Sith Lords had powerful defenses against the Light, but were notoriously vulnerable to Dark attacks, and Vader could barely hold his own now, as Luke lashed out at him in unbridled anger, driving him back mercilessly. _Okay, this is where any half-decent Sith Lord would deflect his anger back toward him, blast him with Sith lightning, and turn him to the Dark side,_ Vader realized.

But unfortunately there was a problem with that plan. _I'm NOT a half-decent Sith Lord,_ Vader admitted unhappily, remembering that he'd only attempted Sith lighting once in his entire life; and thanks to all his mechanical parts, he'd nearly electrocuted himself in the process. _I am the Worst Sith Lord Ever._

_Gah... I did not think this through,_ Vader confessed, collapsing in exhaustion against the railing as Luke continued to slash at him in a furious rage. He felt tired, and dizzy, his heart pounding cruelly inside his chest as he gasped for air; and then suddenly -

"Ahh!" Vader yelped, feeling a painful jolt as his mechanical hand short-circuited; he vaguely saw a flash of red as his lightsaber flew down into the reactor shaft, and he knew that the fight was over. "Ohhhhhhh," he moaned, collapsing to the floor as Luke stood over him, his green lightsaber blazing.

_Kill me now,_ Vader thought miserably, closing his eyes in utter exhaustion; but then he forced them open again, remembering what was at stake. _No, Luke,_ he sighed wearily, waving a feeble hand at his son in an attempt to calm him down. _Don't do it... It's what the Emperor wants..._

"Hahahahahahaha," Sidious cackled, coming down from the dais to join them. "Good," he congratulated Luke, clasping his hands together in delight. "Your hate has made you powerful," he said. "Now, fulfill your destiny," he instructed Luke. "And take your father's place at my side."

_No, _Vader gasped, struggling painfully to breathe. _Don't do it, Luke..._ He could sense his son's confusion and alarm, and saw the horror in his face now as he flexed his black-gloved hand, then gazed at the smoldering mass of wires that spilled out from Vader's severed arm.

_That's right, Luke,_ Vader thought, closing his eyes again. _You don't want to end up like me. Whatever happens... Don't let yourself become his servant,_ he implored Luke silently. _Death is better than this, _Vader confessed, realizing that his miserable life was nearly over._ Trust me, my son. I know._

Luke closed his eyes, sighing as he retracted his lightsaber. "Never," he told the Emperor with quiet acceptance, tossing the hilt away. "I'll never turn to the Dark side." _Good boy, Luke._ Vader smiled behind his mask, his heart filling with warmth for his son. _I love you so much._

"You've failed, Your Highness," Luke continued, facing the Emperor without fear. "I am a Jedi," he informed him proudly. "Like my father before me."

Palpatine was most displeased with this turn of events. "So be it... _Jedi,_" he spat. "If you will not be turned," he told Luke, raising his hands menacingly. "You will be destroyed."

_Damn it,_ Vader groaned, struggling to his feet again as Sidious blasted Luke with a round of blue lightning. He fought dizziness, but scowled dangerously as he approached the Emperor. _No; I won't let you hurt him like that..._

_But what can I do? _Vader thought helplessly, realizing he was powerless against Sith lighting. Luke's lightsaber hilt lay on the floor nearby; perhaps he could - _No,_ Vader sighed, admitting it was futile. _I might be able to hold him off for a few seconds, but that will end badly,_ he confessed.

_Luke is being strong right now; he knows that I love him. But if I die..._ Vader closed his eyes in dismay. _If I allow Sidious to kill me, Luke might lose himself to grief and anger, and be turned after all._

"Young fool," Palpatine said, advancing slowly upon Luke. "Only now, at the end, do you understand." Vader cringed as the Emperor blasted his son with another round of Sith lightning. "Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark side," Palpatine said. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision."

"Ahhhhh," Luke screamed, as Vader watched in helpless dismay, doing what little he could to support his son with feelings of comfort and love. "Father, please," he cried. "Help me..."

_I'm sorry, son,_ Vader thought, his heart sinking. _I wish I could..._ He was tempted to take up his son's lightsaber, and use every last ounce of his remaining strength to hold off the Emperor's assault for as long as he could; but he realized that in doing so, he might doom his son to a fate even worse than death. _I would rather watch him die, than allow him to become a servant of the Emperor._

The lighting stopped for a moment, as Sidious gathered his power for the final assault. "Now, young Skywalker," he said, with calm assurance. "You will die."

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Luke screamed again, writhing in agony as the Emperor blasted him with a barrage of Sith lightning, even more powerful than before. _I love you, Luke,_ Vader wept, his heart breaking as he realized this was the end. _Just let go, son... You'll soon be at peace._

But Luke was strong, and it was taking him a very long time to die. _Damn you, Sidious,_ Vader growled, feeling his anger boiling within him as Luke continued to cling to life, refusing to let go. _I hate you so much..._ He felt a sudden urge to grab the Emperor and heave him down into the reactor shaft; but he knew it wouldn't do any good. He'd just escape in the confusion, and -

_Wait a minute..._ Vader blinked, suddenly remembering. _The reactor core...? _It was one of the mysterious new problems that had greeted Vader upon his return from Coruscant: the Death Star's reactor core had developed a strange malfunction, and a static charge of several thousand volts had built up around the reactor. No one had figured out how to safely negate the charge, and the entire central area had been sealed off as a hazard zone since yesterday.

_That's it,_ Vader realized, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline. No one could survive a shock of that magnitude; not even a Sith Lord. _Which is why I couldn't fix it myself earlier,_ he confessed. _All right,_ Vader glowered, turning to Palpatine now. _This is the end for you, my Master... _Finally giving into his burning hatred and long-suffering rage, he grabbed Sidious by the waist, lifting him over his head and bracing himself against the Sith lightning as he hurled him down into the reactor shaft.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Palpatine screamed, falling to his doom.

_Heh..._ Vader winced in pain as lightning coursed through him. _I don't think he was expecting that._ He collapsed weakly against the rail, peering down into the reactor shaft as the Emperor collided with the core, releasing the thousand-volt charge which had plagued the facility since yesterday.

_Not bad,_ Vader confessed, with a wry smile. _See? Two problems solved, at once._ He wondered momentarily if perhaps Johnny had been responsible for that little malfunction; but just an hour ago Johnny had sworn to him that he hadn't tampered with anything in over a week.

_Well, whoever did that,_ Vader thought, sighing in weary gratitude. _Seriously... Thank you._

His heart felt strangely light now; at the moment of Palpatine's death, a heavy oppression had been lifted, and Vader smiled, basking in the peaceful sensation. _He's gone; he's really gone... __We did it, Luke,_ Vader thought, as his son helped him to lie down on the floor. _We fulfilled our destiny..._ Vader closed his eyes, finally giving in to his profound exhaustion.

But a moment later he felt a sudden jolt as the entire station shook, and the alarm sounded. _Something big just hit us,_ Vader realized worriedly; he could feel death all around them. _The Rebels are attacking._ "Go," he told Luke. _Get out of here, before this whole thing blows up._

"Right," Luke agreed. "But you're coming with me."

"No, Luke," Vader protested, as his son valiantly tried to pull him to his feet. "I haven't the strength," he gasped, reeling dizzily. "Go," he pleaded, collapsing to his knees again.

"I'm not leaving without you," Luke insisted. "Come on, Father; you can do this," he encouraged him, pulling him to his feet again and half-dragging him through the hallway.

_Gah..._ Vader managed to walk a short distance; but his heart was pounding in agony, and he struggled for breath. _Sorry, Luke, _he gasped, collapsing again as they reached the docking bay. _I can't make it any farther..._

_And now I can't breathe at all,_ he confessed, suffocating as Luke dragged him toward the shuttle. His ventilator was broken, and lying on his back seemed to cut off his air supply altogether. Luke sensed his distress, and stopped as they reached the ramp, helping him to sit up. _Thank you..._

"Luke," Vader said, catching his breath for a moment. "Help me take this mask off." _And then we'd better get out of here..._

"But you'll die," Luke protested, dismayed.

___I'm dying anyway, Luke; in case you hadn't noticed. _"Nothing can stop that now," Vader informed his son gently. _I have LTWTL... I can't hold out much longer._ But suddenly he frowned, realizing what his son had just implied.

_He thinks I can't breathe without this mask,_ Vader realized, crestfallen. _He thinks I'm some kind of machine; that I'm not even a human being..._ It was a widely-spread rumor which Vader had never bothered to refute, but it troubled him that his own son believed it.

_No, Luke; it's not as bad as that,_ he wanted to tell his son. "Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes," he pleaded. _I want you to see me, for who I really am._

Luke nodded bravely, and proceeded to remove his helmet, then his mask; the boy's expression had been guarded, but now he gazed at Vader in curiosity and surprise. _You see, Luke? It's just me,_ Vader thought, smiling back at him reassuringly. _I know I'm a disaster... But I want you to look into my eyes, and see that I love you._

"Now go, my son," Vader said feebly, his voice faltering. _This whole station is about to blow up, Luke. You have to get out of here._ "Leave me..."

Luke shook his head. "No," he said, his tone encouraging. "You're coming with me," he insisted once again. "I'll not leave you here; I've got to save you."

Vader smiled at him lovingly. "You already have, Luke," he assured his son. _You've saved me all these years, just by being who you are, _he confessed._ You and Leia have given me the strength to keep fighting all this time, and not give in to the darkness completely._

"You were right," Vader told his son now, willing him to understand. "You were right about me." _There's been good in me all along, Luke. I've always loved you._ "Tell your sister... You were right."

"Father," Luke said. "I won't leave you."

_I know you won't, son,_ Vader thought fondly, as he lay back down in exhaustion. _But I'm afraid I've got to leave you,_ he confessed.

For the Force was calling to him now, and he answered it with a glad heart.

* * *

Johnny looked up in alarm as the Death Star exploded, and blinked worriedly. _Luke..._ He scanned the sky for signs of life: the glint of a ship, _anything _that might tell him that his friend had escaped safely. But it was too far away to see clearly, and Johnny had to trust that Luke was all right.

_I think he's okay,_ Johnny told himself stubbornly. He could _feel_ it; Luke insisted that such abilities were limited to Jedi, but Johnny quietly - though respectfully - disagreed. _Yes; he's all right,_ he reassured himself now, sensing the unmistakable presence that was _Luke_. He could sense Leia as well, here on the forest moon, and Han and Chewie, if he really tried hard enough. _They're all right,_ Johnny told himself, sighing in relief. _Everyone is all right._

Except for... _Vader,_ Johnny realized in alarm, looking up at the sky again. _Did he make it?_ Johnny had never been able to sense Vader's presence; he supposed it was a Sith thing. Though he had felt the ominous gloom of Palpatine's presence ever since his arrival on the Death Star; a heaviness which had suddenly been lifted a few minutes ago, just before the Death Star exploded.

_Luke and Vader killed him,_ Johnny guessed, trying to make sense of all this. _They really did it..._

"Grand Moff Doe?"

Johnny blinked in surprise at the mention of his name; he still hadn't gotten used to being a Grand Moff, albeit a fake one. "Yes?"

"Sir," the young officer said. "Captain Kardesh of Star Destroyer _Devastator_ wishes to speak with you."

_Oh..._ "Thank you," Johnny nodded, heading over to the command shuttle. _Captain Kardesh?_ he wondered, surprised. _What does he want?_ Johnny had served under Kardesh's command aboard the _Devastator_ three years ago, when he had first joined the Imperial Army.

"Yes, Captain?" Johnny said, addressing him over the shuttle's holo-transmitter.

"Grand Moff Doe," Kardesh replied. "I've just received a transmission from General Mon Mothma of the Rebel Alliance." _Really? Cool..._ "She wishes to speak with the High Commander of the Imperial Forces, to negotiate a cease-fire."

_Right,_ Johnny thought, nodding; with the Emperor dead, and the Death Star lost, it was the logical thing to do. "Have you heard from Lord Vader?" he asked hopefully.

"No, sir," Kardesh replied, as Johnny bowed his head in grief. "We believe he has been killed, along with the Emperor, and Moff Jerjerrod," he said. "The _Executor_ has also been lost, and Admiral Piett as well," Kardesh added. "Grand Moff Doe... It would appear that _you_, sir, are in command now."

_What? _Johnny blinked in confusion. _So - they think I'm in charge? Of the whole Empire?_

"Sir, shall I put General Mothma through to you?" Kardesh asked.

_Uhh...?_ "Yes; please do," Johnny replied quickly, trying to sound official. _Well this is interesting,_ he thought, as Mon Mothma's holographic image appeared before him. "General Mothma," Johnny said, greeting her with a respectful nod.

"Grand Moff... Doe?" Mon Mothma replied; she had never been one to show much emotion, but at the moment her expression was quite obviously baffled.

_Yeah, no kidding... _"That is correct," Johnny said.

Mon Mothma's brows furrowed uncertainly; but then she continued. "Grand Moff Doe," she said. "On behalf of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, I would like to negotiate a cease-fire. Our terms are that the Galactic Senate is to be restored immediately, and a new Chancellor elected by democratic vote."

_You got it,_ Johnny nodded. "On behalf of the Imperial Forces, I agree to your terms." _Let's hope this gets the job done..._ "I will order my fleet to stand down at once."

Mon Mothma bowed to him with respect. "Thank you, Grand Moff Doe."

_Well,_ Johnny sighed, contacting Captain Kardesh once again. _This should work, at least temporarily,_ he consoled himself. "Captain Kardesh," he said politely.

"Sir," Kardesh replied. "What are our orders?"

"I have negotiated a cease-fire with the Alliance," Johnny told him. "Our fleet is to stand down immediately."

"Yes, sir," Kardesh nodded; he looked relieved. "I shall pass the word along to the others."

"Thank you, Captain," Johnny said, ending the transmission. _Now what?_ he wondered; he was anxious to speak with Luke and Leia, but realized he still had an entire legion of troops to deal with here on the forest moon. _I guess I'll see them when I see them,_ he sighed, heading back out.

But then he stopped, hearing a muffled thud from the supply closet. _Ahh, damn it..._ Sighing, Johnny opened the closet door, and gazed unhappily at the bound-and-gagged Commander he had left here earlier.

"Mmmmfffff!" Commander Aklan said, his eyes wide with alarm. "Mmmmmfff... Mmmrrr mmrr - " _Sorry,_ Johnny sighed, removing the gag from his mouth. "Thank you," Aklan said, catching his breath. "Sir - there was a Stormtrooper in here earlier, trying to use the refresher; he stole my clothes, and - "

Aklan broke off suddenly, noticing the missing button on Johnny's tunic. "It was you...? Mmmmfff!" he protested, as Johnny stuffed the gag back into his mouth.

_Crap,_ Johnny sighed, looking down at his missing button. "Yeah," he admitted. "It was me." _How am I going to get out of this one?_ "Look, here's the deal," Johnny said, as Aklan regarded him warily. "The Emperor is dead, and Vader too," he said, feeling a pang of grief. "The Death Star has been destroyed, and the _Executor_ as well," he informed Aklan.

"Everyone is under the impression that I'm the new Grand Moff," Johnny continued. "And as such, the current High Commander of the Imperial Forces. I've surrendered our fleet to the the Alliance; we've agreed to a cease-fire, under the terms that the Republic Senate is to be restored, and a new Chancellor elected," he said. "Is that going to be a problem?" Johnny asked, giving Aklan a cautious look.

Aklan shook his head. "Mmmmfff," he assured Johnny.

"All right," Johnny said, removing his gag once again. Aklan was a decent man, he admitted; he'd butted heads with Vader a few times - and was a pretty lousy Commander, overall - but like most Imperials, he had no real love for the Empire. "Look, I'm sorry about all this - "

"No; it's okay," Aklan interrupted him; he looked deeply concerned about something. "Thank you," he added, as Johnny removed the binders from his wrists. "And I don't know _who_ you are - "

_Join the club,_ Johnny thought ruefully. "Grand Moff Doe," he informed Aklan, praying that his title would hold at least until an official peace treaty could be signed, and stability restored.

"Grand Moff Doe," Aklan nodded, accepting it. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone about this," he assured him. "If you wouldn't mind not telling anyone about - " He glanced down at his underwear in dismay.

Johnny blinked uncertainly. "Yeah, I was wondering about that," he confessed, noting that the Commander was wearing pink boxer shorts, covered in little red hearts.

"My wife gave them to me," Aklan explained. "It's our anniversary today; and I - " He blinked unhappily, then began to pull on Johnny's Stormtrooper armor, for lack of anything else to wear. "Look, I don't want to cause any trouble," Aklan assured him, glancing out the doorway toward the awaiting troops. "I just want to go home," he confessed, a pleading look in his eyes.

_Home..._ Johnny couldn't suppress a faint smile, and nodded in agreement. "Don't we all," he told Aklan, patting him gently on the shoulder as he headed back outside. _Sounds good to me._

_

* * *

_

Night had fallen over the forest moon of Endor as Luke lit a torch from the nearby bonfire, carrying it reverently toward his father's funeral pyre. "Goodbye, Father," he whispered softly, watching with a heavy heart as the fire began to blaze, surrounding and consuming Vader's armored remains.

_I wish I could have known him better,_ Luke confessed. He had gazed into his father's eyes just before he died, and they had been filled with kindness, and regret, and love. _There was more to him than any of us realized,_ Luke admitted now, his heart aching for the father he'd never known.

He could _feel_ his presence now, and it comforted him; Luke closed his eyes, sensing that his father was standing just behind him, watching as his body was engulfed by the flames. _Hello, Father,_ he thought wistfully, appreciating his presence. _I'm glad you're here._

As if in response, he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder; but this strangely palpable sensation was new to Luke, and he gasped, startled. _I've never FELT a ghost before..._

"Sorry," said a familiar voice, as Luke turned to face the newcomer, blinking in surprise.

"Johnny!" Luke smiled fondly despite his grief. "What are you doing here?" He hugged him now; he hadn't seen Johnny properly in over eight months, and had missed his old friend.

"I, uh - wanted to pay my respects," Johnny confessed, with a regretful glance toward the funeral pyre.

Luke nodded, grateful for Johnny's company as they held a silent vigil together, neither of them speaking for several minutes. "There was good in him," Luke said quietly, at length.

Johnny bowed his head. "Yeah."

"He was my father," Luke added softly.

Johnny nodded. "I know."

_I've missed you,_ Luke thought, as they shared a regretful smile. In some ways he felt even closer to Johnny than Leia; he'd always been able to talk to him honestly, and Johnny had a way of quietly accepting things as they were, even if the circumstances weren't perfect.

_I can't help it,_ Luke admitted, confused by what his senses were telling him. _He feels like my brother._ There was an unmistakable familiarity about Johnny, a presence that Luke also felt in Leia, and especially in Vader... But this was not the time or place to bring that up, so Luke contented himself with Johnny's friendship, grateful to not be alone right now.

Presently they heard the sound of Ewok drums, and the night sky suddenly came to life with fireworks. Johnny gave Luke a sympathetic smile, casting a final regretful glance toward Vader's funeral pyre. "We should probably join the others," he said gently, as Luke nodded in quiet agreement.

They headed back toward the Ewok village; but a minute later Johnny's comlink buzzed. "Sorry," he apologized, answering it. "Yes?"

"Grand Moff Doe," a voice replied, as Luke blinked at Johnny in confusion. _Grand Moff... What?_ He stared at his friend now, realizing he was wearing an Imperial officer's uniform. Johnny gave him an embarrassed cringe, listening intently over his comlink.

"Sir, we've just finished evacuating the last of the troops," the caller reported, as Johnny nodded seriously. "But Captain Kardesh called a few minutes ago; he had a few questions, about where to send the remainder of the fleet," the man explained. "I said you'd call him back."

Johnny sighed, casting a wistful glance up at the fireworks. "All right," he agreed. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he promised, ending the transmission. "Sorry," he apologized to Luke. "I have to stop by the control bunker, and deal with this... I'll see you back at the village?" he asked hopefully.

"Okay... sure," Luke said; but he gave Johnny a quizzical look. "Grand Moff?"

Johnny laughed, shaking his head. "Long story."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Luke agreed, baffled.

"I'll see you in a few minutes," Johnny promised, waving good-naturedly as he headed back through the forest toward the control bunker.

_Grand Moff,_ Luke laughed to himself, making his way toward the Ewok village. _THIS I can't wait to hear about. _He still grieved over the loss of his father, but Johnny had helped greatly to lighten his mood, and as he arrived at the village he couldn't help smiling to see the festive celebrations.

"Leia," he exclaimed, rushing across the bridge and embracing her happily. _I'm so glad everyone's all right..._ Han was here too, and Chewbacca, and Lando; Luke greeted them all cheerfully, and shook hands with Wedge now, grateful to see him safely back from his attack run.

Then he glimpsed a blue shimmer on the bridge nearby, and smiled to see Ben and Yoda standing there, observing the celebrations. A moment later a third ghostly image began to appear; Luke knew that it was his father, and held his breath as Vader struggled to materialize.

But as fate would have it, Johnny chose that exact moment to return from the control bunker, and stood on the bridge now, gazing quietly toward the village.

_Johnny,_ Luke laughed ruefully, as his friend stood amidst the blue shimmering Jedi, oblivious to their presence. _You're standing on my dad's ghost. _But Luke was too happy to be upset about it, and just smiled, grateful that his father had found his way back to him through the Force. _Hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to him later, _he sighed, realizing he had so many questions to ask.

Now he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Leia. "Come on," she said, leading him back over to the others. "The Ewok children want to put on a show for us," Leia explained.

"Oh," Luke said, grinning cheerfully. "Cool," he agreed, joining Han and the others as they huddled together on another bridge, watching the show. But then he realized that Johnny hadn't joined them. "Hey... Johnny should see this," Luke said, glancing back over in his direction.

"Johnny's here?" Leia asked brightly, looking around.

"Yeah," Luke said. "Well he was_,_ a second ago..." _Where did he go?_

"There he is," Leia exclaimed, waving cheerfully as she spotted Johnny crossing a bridge on the other side of the village.

_Huh?_ Luke blinked, looking over at Johnny. _How'd he get way over there?_ He'd been standing next to Ben and Yoda just a moment ago; but now suddenly he was a hundred yards away, and rushing to join them from the opposite direction. _I am so confused..._

But he smiled good-naturedly, admitting that _confusion_ seemed to go hand-in-hand with Jedi ghost sightings. _Ah, well..._ A moment later Johnny arrived at the Ewok village, and Luke, Leia, and the others greeted him warmly, welcoming him back after his eight-month absence.

_I'm glad we're all together again,_ Luke confessed, with a grateful smile. He looked up at the night sky now, feeling the unbridled sense of joy all around him, and realizing that at this very moment, people all across the galaxy were joining in their victory celebration, and eagerly anticipating a new era of peace.

* * *

Fireworks were bursting over the night sky of Kalydon as Anakin looked up at the stars, focusing his gaze on a faint twinkle of light, far across the galaxy in the Endor system.

_Luke and Leia are there now,_ Anakin guessed, smiling proudly. They had all felt the change in the Force earlier today, when the oppressive weight had suddenly given way to lightness, and joy; the Jedi had known - even before hearing the news - that Palpatine was dead, and the reign of the Sith was over.

But now Anakin turned his attention to his other children, smiling in amusement as Aiel and Kiran danced shyly together, along with the other villagers. _Just ask her out already,_ Anakin thought; the two of them were obviously in love, but Kiran still hadn't gotten up the courage to say anything.

Ekul and Saryja had wasted no time in that regard; Anakin spotted them sitting together near one of the smaller campfires, watching the festivities. They had been married for nearly a year now, and just six weeks ago Saryja had given birth to the newest member of the Redrehfren family.

_I still can't believe I'm a grandfather,_ Anakin confessed, blinking ruefully at the thought; Obi-Wan had been teasing him mercilessly about it for the past two months, and he had to admit that at forty-five, he didn't feel quite ready to be anyone's Grandpa.

But Ekul and Saryja were thrilled to be parents; Anakin gazed at them fondly now, watching as Saryja cradled Taran in her arms, while Ekul arranged his blanket carefully around him. Sensing Anakin's gaze, Ekul looked up, giving him a somewhat embarrassed look; Anakin smiled at his son, but then blinked suddenly, understanding what he was staring at. _Oops... Breastfeeding,_ he realized, giving Ekul an apologetic cringe and tactfully looking away.

_I missed that whole phase with my own kids,_ Anakin confessed, with a twinge of regret. He'd been far too busy with his Sith Lord career at the time, and had taken for granted that Ekul and Aiel emerged from the cloning lab as one-year-old children, already beginning to toddle around, and able to sleep through the night without multiple feedings.

Anakin had a _lot_ of regrets, to be honest; but for the most part he tried to keep them to himself, not wanting to burden the others. And tonight he felt an especially heavy sense of grief and remorse, as he realized that his own ill-begotten clone was finally dead.

_He was a monster,_ Anakin confessed; for over twenty years he had been horrified by reports of his clone's tyrannical behavior, and knew that if there had ever been a shred of humanity within Vader, it had been consumed by the darkness decades ago.

The entire galaxy was joyfully celebrating Vader's demise at this very moment; Anakin was admittedly relieved by the news of his passing, but still he grieved over the loss of his doomed soul. _He was born into agony, and despair,_ Anakin confessed. _He never had a chance to be anything else._

_Force, forgive him,_ Anakin prayed, bowing his head. _Nothing he ever did was truly his own fault,_ he thought, with a heavy heart. _It was mine._

But now he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, and smiled gratefully as Obi-Wan sat down beside him, a look of gentle reassurance in his eyes. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Anakin assured him, nodding. "Of course." _Why wouldn't I be all right?_ He set aside his grief for the moment, giving Obi-Wan a curious look. "Any news?" Obi-Wan had just returned from their hill-hut, where he had been listening to the latest reports over the radio.

"Not much since this afternoon," Obi-Wan told him. "Apparently there's been some rioting on Coruscant, but nothing deadly," he assured Anakin. "They've pulled down the Emperor's statue, but so far the local police seem to be keeping things under control."

Anakin nodded solemnly. _It's not going to be an easy transition,_ he realized; Coruscant especially was in a dangerous period of anarchy at the moment, until the New Republic could be established, and stability restored. "When is Mon Mothma due to arrive?"

"No one knows, for certain," Obi-Wan told him. "But possibly as early as tomorrow."

_Tomorrow..._ Anakin turned his gaze toward Aiel and Kiran, watching as they celebrated along with the other villagers. Tika was with them too, and Master Yoda sat near the central bonfire, surrounded by children who listened eagerly as he told them stories of faraway places.

_I'm going to miss this place,_ Anakin confessed, feeling a twinge of longing. But this was the moment they had all been awaiting for two decades. _And Luke and Leia made it happen,_ he realized, excited and nervous at the prospect of meeting his _real_ children for the first time.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said gently, standing up again. "It's time." Anakin nodded, getting to his feet; and Ekul, Aiel, Tika, and Yoda all shared a knowing glance now, acknowledging that it was time to say their goodbyes to the villagers of Kalydon, at least for a little while.

For their exile was over now, and their real work just beginning; the New Republic would need their help in restoring peace and stability, and the moment had finally come for the return of the Jedi.


	24. And the Jedi return!

**Chapter 24**

The first rays of dawn were creeping across Coruscant as Luke stood on the balcony of his guest room in the Imperial Palace, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind. "Father," he called out softly. "Father..." But as usual there was no answer, and Luke sighed in regret, opening his eyes once again.

It had been two days since his death. The Rebel Alliance had arrived here on Coruscant yesterday, and the day had been filled with nonstop politics, as Mon Mothma and Leia met with the leaders of the former Imperial regime to negotiate a peace treaty. Luke, Han, Johnny, and Chewbacca had been in charge of security; there had been huge crowds outside the Imperial Palace all day, but thankfully the negotiations had been carried out peacefully. By evening a treaty had been signed, recognizing Mon Mothma's authority until a new Chancellor could be properly elected, and the Senate restored.

Mon Mothma had ordered Johnny to step down from his position as Grand Moff before their arrival on Coruscant, and had instead appointed him as her own personal bodyguard, and acting head of security for the New Republic, due to his experience in dealing with the newly-allied Imperial forces. Han and Chewie were now serving as Leia's bodyguards, but Luke's official position had not yet been decided, as no one knew quite what to do about restoring the Jedi Order.

_They know I can't rebuild it by myself,_ Luke sighed, gazing across the sleeping city toward the Jedi Temple in the distance. For the past few years Luke had been the poster boy for the Rebellion, and the entire galaxy had cheered him on as the first Jedi Knight to emerge in over two decades; but even Mon Mothma had been hesitant to bring up the question of training others in the Jedi arts, and thus far the subject had been avoided entirely.

_Pass on what you have learned,_ Master Yoda had instructed him, just before he died. _But how can I?_ Luke wondered, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the ancient Temple, which towered over the city in the distance. It had once been home to hundreds of Jedi Knights; but even if Luke succeeded in teaching Leia, that would only make two of them. And Leia was busy with the political side of things right now; Luke hadn't even spoken to her about it yet.

_There's so much I need to talk to her about,_ Luke admitted, remembering his father's last words: _Tell your sister you were right..._ But there had simply been no time. The past two days had been a whirlwind of nonstop celebrations intermixed with urgent political matters, and what little time Leia had to herself, she was choosing to spend with Han lately. _I'll talk to her about it when things settle down a bit,_ Luke resolved.

But now he cocked his head in curiosity, feeling - _something_. He peered toward the Jedi Temple again; its towers were glinting faintly against the dim horizon, touched by the first rays of dawn, and Luke had the odd sensation that the building itself was _calling_ to him, somehow. _I should pay my respects,_ Luke thought, stepping back inside his guest room and heading out to the hallway. Everyone else was still asleep; it would be at least two or three hours before he was officially needed for anything, and Luke was curious to explore this strange city-planet which was to be his new home.

He made his way through the hallways of the Imperial Palace, nodding appreciatively as he passed by several Alliance security guards on his way down to the main entrance. But as he reached the closed doors, he was stopped by an official-sounding voice behind him.

"Excuse me, sir," one of the security guards said sternly, approaching him. "I'm going to need to see some I.D."

Luke grinned, turning around. "Wedge," he said, greeting his old friend. "Night shift, huh?"

"Yeah," Wedge sighed. "I lost a bet with Janson," he admitted ruefully. Then he gave Luke a curious look. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Eh, I couldn't sleep," Luke said. "I figured I'd go for a walk... Look around a bit," he explained vaguely.

"You know I'm not supposed to let anyone in or out," Wedge reproached him. "Boss's orders."

Luke laughed quietly, remembering that his 'boss' - the acting head of security for the New Republic - was in fact Johnny. "Tell him I mind-tricked you," he told Wedge, giving him an apologetic look.

Wedge sighed. "All right," he agreed reluctantly, opening the door for him. "Be careful."

"Always," Luke nodded, heading outside. "And get some sleep," he added over his shoulder, as Wedge grinned appreciatively, giving him a respectful salute.

The courtyard was empty now; Luke felt a vague chill as he passed by Palpatine's fallen statue, and pulled his hood up over his head. _I need to find something else to wear,_ he admitted, as he continued through the courtyard. He'd chosen to wear all black in memory of his father; but his recent encounter with the Emperor had changed his mind. _The hooded black look is out,_ Luke sighed, resolving to adopt a more traditional Jedi outfit, such as Ben and Yoda had worn.

But he _had_ noticed one other person sporting a black hooded cloak yesterday, amidst the throngs of celebrants gathered here in the palace courtyard. _I saw her,_ Luke recalled now, frowning in concern. _The girl from Jabba's palace..._ He'd only glimpsed her for a second, but her emerald-green eyes were unmistakable. And she had seemed frightened; Luke had gotten the distinct impression that she was in trouble.

_Who is she?_ Luke wondered again. _She's beautiful... _He wished that he could help her, but she had quickly looked away from him, vanishing into the crowd; he hadn't been able to spot her again after that.

_I hope she's all right,_ Luke sighed, as he descended the courtyard steps, turning onto Processional Way. He could see the Jedi Temple straight ahead of him now, and felt a sense of awe as he beheld the impressive structure with its five stately towers, glowing in the early morning light. Luke was eager to see a part of this city that was _not_ a reminder of Palpatine's oppressive reign, and he walked toward the Temple now, enjoying this brief moment of solitude.

_I wish I could have seen this place in the old days,_ Luke thought, trying to imagine what it had been like. The Jedi had once been the peacekeepers of the galaxy, working closely with the Old Republic and the Galactic Senate; but those days were long past, and for two decades the Temple had remained abandoned. _And now?_ Luke wondered, feeling suddenly helpless. _How can I possibly rebuild the Jedi Order, to be anything close to what it once was?_

_Even if Leia agrees to let me train her; that's still only two of us,_ Luke confessed, overwhelmed by the prospect. _Unless..._ He blinked uncertainly, his thoughts returning once again to Johnny. _What if I was wrong about him?_ Luke considered. When Yoda had told him there was another Skywalker, he had instantly guessed that it was Johnny; not only did they have the exact same coloring, but somehow Luke had _felt_ that Johnny was his brother.

Ben had dismissed the idea as impossible, insisting that Luke's mother had never been pregnant before he and Leia came along. Then again, Ben had claimed to have no idea who his mother actually _was;_ Luke still was not convinced that the elderly Jedi had his facts straight, about a lot of things.

_But maybe he was right about Johnny,_ Luke realized. Perhaps there was another explanation for the strange but undeniable _feeling_ he had about him. There was definitely something about Johnny, that he sensed a little bit in Leia, and a _lot_ in Vader. What if it wasn't _family_ that he sensed... but _Jedi_ potential? Johnny had been astonishingly quick to learn piloting and lightsaber skills; was it possible that he could be trained as a Jedi as well?

_It's worth a try,_ Luke thought, as he continued along the street toward the Jedi Temple. _That would make three of us..._ And if Johnny had Force abilities, then perhaps there were others as well. _Maybe Han?_ Luke wondered. He was certainly an incredible pilot; he'd probably be decent with a lightsaber too, if he weren't so in love with his precious blaster, and didn't think the Force was a bunch of superstitious nonsense.

_Which could be a problem,_ Luke admitted, with a wry grin. Master Yoda had initially thought that _Luke_ was too old to begin his training, and had been dismayed by his lack of faith. _Always with you it cannot be done..._ Han was by far the most cynical person Luke had ever met, and he realized that even the suggestion of training in Jedi abilities would be shot down with a dismissive laugh and sarcastic remark.

_But Leia and Johnny might agree to let me train them,_ Luke thought, as he reached the end of Processional Way. _Maybe I won't be completely alone in this._ He approached the courtyard of the Jedi Temple now, but stopped for a moment, feeling a heaviness in his heart as he recalled what had happened here.

Luke had seen pictures on the HoloNet, taken just days after the fall of the Republic; the bodies of hundreds of slain Jedi had been piled here in the courtyard, and incinerated in a macabre bonfire, for all the city to see. Palpatine himself had sealed off the entrance to the Temple, and it had remained abandoned ever since.

_Can it even be opened again?_ Luke wondered, quietly ascending the steps to the Temple. The entrance was guarded by the stone images of four Jedi Masters, etched onto the faces of the monolithic pylons which sealed the Temple shut. There was no need for doors, or locks; the Temple had been quite safe from intruders over the years, as only the Force could persuade the stalwart Jedi Masters to step aside.

_It's too big,_ Luke thought, overwhelmed by the size of the etched monoliths blocking the entrance; they had to weigh several tons each. _No, _he reminded himself._ Size matters not. If I can move a small rock, then I can move a big one. This is no different; only different in my mind, _he tried to believe. _Though it wouldn't hurt to ask their permission,_ he decided, closing his eyes and bowing his head reverently before the stone guardians.

"I mean you no harm," Luke assured them quietly. "I swear to protect the Temple, and keep it safe," he promised the ancient Masters. "Please," he whispered, praying they were listening. "Let me in," he begged them humbly. "So that I can continue the work that you started."

Quieting his mind, Luke reached a hand toward the enormous statues now, willing them to move. He could feel the Force flowing within him; and a moment later he heard a low rumbling sound, and the unmistakable scraping of stone against stone as the tremendous monoliths began to move.

A few seconds later it was finished, and Luke opened his eyes, astonished to see that the four statues no longer sealed the doorway shut, but stood just in front of it now, still guarding the Temple with their imposing presence, but spread apart wide enough to allow others to enter.

_It worked,_ Luke realized, incredulous. _It actually worked..._ "Thank you," he whispered reverently to the four Masters, remembering his promise to them. _I will do everything within my power, to rebuild what has been destroyed, and to rediscover what has been lost._

Gathering his courage, Luke stepped cautiously forward, passing between the enormous monoliths and entering the Jedi Temple.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"He went for a walk?" Johnny blinked in surprise, glancing out the doorway toward the courtyard of the Imperial Palace.

"Yeah," Wedge said. "He left about ten minutes ago." He gave Johnny a sheepish look. "He said to tell you that he mind-tricked me."

Johnny laughed. "No worries," he assured Wedge. "Luke can take care of himself."

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Wedge agreed.

"I'll see if I can track him down," Johnny promised, patting him on the shoulder. "Get some rest, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Wedge sighed, grateful that his shift was finally over. "Call me if you need anything, all right?"

"Will do," Johnny nodded, as Wedge headed back toward the guest quarters. Then he turned to the new guard. "I'm going out to look for Luke," he announced, heading for the doorway. "Let me know if he comes back here, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Ellys promised. "I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thanks," Johnny said with an appreciative grin, continuing out to the courtyard. _Luke shouldn't be that hard to find,_ he thought confidently. After all, there were only two places where Luke was likely to have gone. _Either the Jedi Temple,_ Johnny thought, heading down the steps toward Processional Way. _Or some place that sells power converters,_ he laughed quietly, amused by his friend's lifelong obsession.

But his grin faded as he considered the second option. _Raq's mechanic shop sells power converters,_ Johnny remembered, feeling a twinge of homesickness as he gazed across the sprawling city toward his old neighborhood once again. _But of course Luke didn't go there,_ he scolded himself, continuing on toward the Temple. _Places that sell power converters generally aren't open this early in the morning,_ he admitted, dismissing that preposterous idea.

_Then again - the Jedi Temple isn't open... EVER,_ Johnny rationalized, glancing toward the abandoned Temple in the distance. It was obvious that Luke had gone there; but the thought of Raq's mechanic shop had given Johnny the sudden urge to stop by his old workplace, and see how Raq and Kalana were doing.

_I promised Vader I would,_ Johnny confessed, recalling the old man's final plea to him. _I promised him a lot of things,_ he admitted, still grieving over the loss of his friend. It was obvious that Luke's father had a multitude of regrets; Vader had made Johnny swear to try to live a better life than he had, and to be happy. _And I will do my best to carry out his wishes,_ Johnny resolved, wanting to honor his old friend's memory.

_Ahh, I don't know,_ Johnny sighed, hesitating momentarily as he glanced toward the Jedi Temple. _Luke probably wants to be alone anyway..._ And Mon Mothma would probably need _both_ of them back at the Imperial Palace in another hour or so, as it was certain to be another busy day filled with politics and negotiations, with throngs of enthusiastic onlookers to keep under control. _I won't get another chance to see Kalana, _Johnny realized._ At least not until later tonight, or tomorrow._

He was admittedly nervous at the thought of seeing her; it had been three years, and Johnny wasn't even certain if she still lived here on Coruscant at all. _Which is all the more reason to find out,_ he decided, giving up on his plan of finding Luke, and heading toward his old neighborhood instead. _I'll at least stop by Raq's shop, and say hello,_ Johnny resolved, making his way through the narrow city streets. _And see what Kalana's up to these days._

It would be somewhat awkward to see them again, he realized. Three years ago - after the destruction of the first Death Star - Raq and Kalana had been sent an official notice of Johnny's death, since he had listed them as his next of kin on his employment records. He'd never contacted them to let them know he was with the Rebel Alliance; partially because he didn't want them to continue worrying for his safety, but also because he feared any contact with them could prove deadly. _I didn't want them to end up like Luke's aunt and uncle, or Leia's foster parents,_ Johnny admitted with regret.

But hopefully Raq and Kalana would understand his reasons, and not be too angry with him. _That is, if they even care at all,_ Johnny sighed. _It's not like we were ever that close_. But they were the closest thing to family that he'd ever had - at least that he could remember; Johnny was still deeply grateful for the kindness that they had shown him, back when he was first struggling to pull his life together after being stricken with amnesia.

His feelings for Kalana, however, had quickly crossed a line past what could be considered appropriate for _family,_ or the way a lowly mechanic ought to feel about his boss's daughter. During his initial employment interview, Johnny had eagerly promised to obey Raq's number one rule, which was to never touch his daughter; but that was before he'd actually _met_ Kalana, and only afterward did he realize the miserable position he'd gotten himself into.

He'd managed to keep his distance for several months, until Kalana started college at the University of Coruscant; and then for a myriad of reasons - most of them stupid - Johnny had finally just run away from that whole situation, and had joined the Imperial Army to become a Stormtrooper.

_I thought if I could get away from this place, I might find myself,_ Johnny confessed with a regretful sigh, as he continued through the streets of Coruscant. But he'd been from one end of the galaxy to the other - and back again, several times - and in the end he was still no closer to remembering his former life than he'd been three years ago. _I'm still just John Doe, Amnesiac Boy,_ he admitted unhappily. _The guy who gets laughed at, every time he introduces himself._

_How can I ever ask Kalana to marry me, if I don't even know who I am?_ Johnny thought, dismayed. _For all I know, I could be married already._ It had been years since he'd dreamed of the strange girl with the somber brown eyes; she had faded from his memory over time, but Johnny was still troubled by the thought of her. _What if she's still waiting for me to come home?_ he wondered. _What if I DO marry Kalana - and then get my memory back one day, only to realize that I'm supposed to be with this other girl?_

It was for these reasons - and so many others - that Johnny had never told Kalana how he felt about her. And now, as he arrived at his old neighborhood, turning onto a familiar narrow street and continuing toward Raq's mechanic shop, he had to admit he was grateful he'd kept quiet about his feelings in the past. _This way, if she's already married - or doesn't seem to care that I'm back - it's less embarrassing,_ Johnny confessed.

But he'd promised Vader he'd at least look her up, and in a strange way the old man's dying wish gave him a sort of courage, that he'd never felt before. _I don't want to spend the rest of my life regretting that I never said anything,_ Johnny admitted. _I love Kalana, and I want her to know it,_ he realized, his heart fluttering at the thought. _And if I end up being rejected and humiliated over this... So be it,_ Johnny resolved, accepting his fate. _At least I will have tried. For Vader's sake... And my own,_ he confessed, as he approached Raq's mechanic shop.

A light was on in the shop, and Johnny smiled fondly, remembering that Raq had always been an early riser. He doubted that Kalana was here right now; but he would be glad to see Raq again - the kindly man who had taken Johnny in four years ago, and taught him the basics of mechanical repair work. _Anyway, I'd rather ask about Kalana, and find out if she already has a boyfriend or something, before I see her in person,_ Johnny admitted.

He peered in through the window, and saw Raq hard at work as usual, lying on his back underneath a speeder, in his dark blue coveralls and black work boots. Johnny grinned at the sight of him; but then he frowned worriedly, noticing how frail and thin he looked, beneath his baggy coveralls. Raq had always been a small man, but not _this_ thin, and Johnny felt his heart suddenly sink. _Crap, is he sick? _

There was a Help Wanted sign on the door; Johnny felt a stab of guilt, realizing that perhaps Raq and Kalana were going through hard times themselves. _I should never have left,_ Johnny thought, recalling Raq's dismay over his decision to become a Stormtrooper. _Raq was like a father to me; and now he's sick..._ Johnny had just spent the last seven months watching in quiet concern as Vader's health slowly deteriorated, and now it looked like he'd have to go through it all over again.

_Well... At least I'm here now,_ Johnny sighed, resolving to do what he could to help Raq and Kalana. He opened the door and stepped inside the shop, managing a nervous smile as the doorbell jingled, alerting Raq of his presence. The older man slid out from beneath the speeder, looking up curiously; and Johnny's eyes widened in stunned surprise as he realized it _wasn't_ Raq after all.

It was Kalana.

She was staring back at him now, her expression even more shocked than Johnny's; but she quickly got up, coming over to see him. _She looks so different,_ Johnny thought, his heart fluttering as he gazed at her. Kalana had always been a trendy little thing; but now she wore coveralls and work boots, with her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a black smudge across her cheek. _That's kind of adorable..._

Kalana stopped a few paces away from him, still looking as though she'd seen a ghost. "Johnny?" she asked, her voice catching.

Johnny smiled shyly. "Hey, Kalana."

Kalana broke into a delighted grin, embracing him. "Johnny!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with happy tears as she smiled at him in disbelief. "I thought... They told us - " she broke off uncertainly, not able to finish that sentence.

"Yeah, I know," Johnny said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Kalana; I should have written to you guys - "

"No kidding," Kalana agreed, with a look of reproach.

"I'm sorry," Johnny stammered. "I - "

"Yeah, yeah," Kalana said, smiling. "You're alive; you're forgiven," she relented, as Johnny grinned in relief. "So - where have you been?"

"Um... Well, as it turns out - I wasn't aboard the Death Star, when it blew up," he began.

Kalana's brows furrowed. "Okay, I guessed that part."

"Right," Johnny laughed, looking down. "Anyway, I got captured by the Rebels, and - well, then I ended up _joining_ them," he explained, realizing how bizarre that sounded. "I've been working for them for the past three years," he told Kalana.

"You're with the Alliance?" Kalana blinked in surprise, noticing his uniform for the first time.

"Um - yeah," Johnny said, nodding. "I'm helping out with security," he explained vaguely. In fact, he had just been promoted to General yesterday, and was officially _head_ of security for the entire New Republic, but it seemed awkward to mention that right now.

"Johnny, that's great," Kalana said, smiling enthusiastically. "I've been watching the news; it's so exciting," she added. "So - you were there, on Endor?"

"Yeah, I was there," Johnny said. "It was - pretty crazy," he confessed.

"I bet," Kalana agreed; then she gave him a wistful look. "So - I take it you won't be needing your old job back?" she asked, glancing at the Help Wanted sign on the door.

"No," Johnny said. "But - I can help out in my spare time, if you need," he offered quickly.

Kalana sighed in regret. "No, I'd rather you didn't."

"Oh..." Johnny's heart sank, but he nodded, trying to accept it.

"I mean - you know how my dad is, with his rules," Kalana added, giving him a hesitant look.

"Oh..." Johnny grinned shyly, surprised by what she was implying. _Really?_ "Yeah, I was never a huge fan of his rules either," he confessed, as they shared a commiserative smile. _Wow... um... _"How is your dad?" he asked nervously, changing the subject.

"He's fine," Kalana told him. "He had to go to Corellia, for some parts; he should be back this afternoon."

"Great," Johnny said, relieved to hear they were both all right. "So, you're working here now?" He cast a curious glance at Kalana's mechanic coveralls; the last he'd known, she'd been studying Marine Biology at the University of Coruscant. _I guess it didn't work out,_ he realized, somewhat dismayed for her.

"Oh... yeah," Kalana said, managing a cheerful smile. "I've been helping my dad out," she explained. "Actually - " she gave Johnny an apologetic cringe. "I should get back to work; I need to get this speeder fixed, before the customer comes back," she said, glancing worriedly at the chrono on the wall.

"Okay," Johnny nodded; then he gave her a questioning look. "Want some help?"

"Eh... no," Kalana sighed glumly. "I don't want you working for my dad, remember?"

"Well, as long as he doesn't _pay_ me," Johnny countered, "I'm not technically working for him, right?"

Kalana's eyes twinkled. "No, I suppose not," she agreed. "If you don't mind...?"

"I don't mind," Johnny assured her.

"All right," Kalana said, as they shared a shy smile. "Come on in."

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Luke stood inside the entrance of the Jedi Temple, looking around in awe. _I'm the first person to see this in over twenty years,_ he realized. The place felt sacred, and magical; haunted, but in a good way, Luke thought, as he continued slowly through the great hall, admiring the statues of Jedi Knights which lined the walls.

_I don't even know who these people were,_ he confessed, still overwhelmed by the thought of restoring the Jedi Order to its former glory. _How can I pass on what I've learned... When I've barely learned anything at all?_ Luke wondered.

He'd only had about twelve hours of formal training with Master Yoda on Dagobah; and most of that time had been spent chasing frogs, standing on his head, and having disturbing hallucinations. Ironically, the bulk of his _practical_ knowledge and skills had come from Leia, and Johnny - the very people he was supposed to be training.

_Leia knows more of Jedi history than I do,_ Luke admitted, gazing reverently at the statues as he passed by. _And Johnny is better at lightsaber techniques._ But neither of them knew how to use the Force; perhaps if Luke taught them his own special abilities... _Between the three of us, we MIGHT be able to manage this._

He wandered through the hallways of the Temple, admiring the architecture, with its high ceilings and stately columns. Presently he found his way into a large atrium filled with bridges, walkways, and empty pool beds, and realized that he had discovered the legendary Room of a Thousand Fountains, which he had learned about on the HoloNet. _It's beautiful,_ Luke thought, walking slowly along the paths as the early morning sunlight filtered down from above.

_Or at least, it WAS,_ Luke confessed, realizing that the fountains were dry, and the pools empty, as were the garden beds lining the walkways. _Johnny and I could fix this place up,_ Luke thought, feeling a small glimmer of hope. _We can make the building what it once was,_ he felt certain. _But can we fill it with Jedi again? _The task before him seemed nearly impossible, and Luke sat down on a bench now, closing his eyes in meditation.

_I won't be able to do this without guidance,_ he confessed, quieting his mind and praying that his ghostly teachers might come to him in this peaceful place. "Ben," Luke called out quietly, hoping that the kindly old Jedi Master would hear him. "Yoda..." But again, there was no reply, and Luke sighed in regret. "Father," he pleaded softly, a tone of longing in his voice. "Father, please," he whispered, desperate to speak with him.

"Hello, Luke," a voice replied, somewhat uncertainly.

Luke smiled, suddenly feeling his father's presence nearby. "Father," he repeated happily; he kept his eyes shut, not wanting to risk losing their connection as he basked in his father's comforting aura. It had changed since two days ago; there had always been a heavy sadness surrounding Vader, and a weariness that pervaded his presence. But in death he felt stronger, lighter, younger... and strangely, more _alive_.

"Luke," his father said again; his voice sounded different than Luke remembered, yet at the same time oddly familiar.

"Father," Luke repeated, still smiling blissfully. _I'm so glad you're here..._

"Luke..." Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, prodding him gently. "Luke!"

_Huh?_ Luke opened his eyes, startled to realize he wasn't alone. _Oops..._ "Um, sorry," Luke apologized, blinking at the newcomer. "I was just - " He broke off, staring at the man in wide-eyed shock. _What the - ?_

"It's all right." The newcomer smiled apologetically as he took a seat across from Luke, on the edge of a raised pool bed. "So... You know who I am?"

"Um... Yeah," Luke nodded, taking in the man's unruly golden-brown hair, dark blue eyes, and undeniably familiar features. _He's Johnny's dad... He has to be._ He wore the simple rough-spun clothes of a Nerf herder, but Luke knew instinctively that this man was a Jedi. "I mean - " Luke gave him an apologetic look. "No, sir," he confessed humbly, admitting he didn't even know _Johnny's_ real name, much less his father's.

"Oh." The man blinked uncertainly, and Luke sensed a mixture of disappointment and confusion. "Okay, I didn't think so," he admitted cautiously. "Um... Well - my name is Nikana... I mean - well, it _isn't,_" he confessed, immediately contradicting himself. "But that's the name I've gone by for the past twenty years," he told Luke. "I'm not really a Nerf herder," he added, casting an apologetic glance at his clothes. "I mean - " he blinked, frowning. "Well, I _am,_ but - "

"You're a Jedi," Luke said, helping him out.

"Right," the man said, giving Luke a proud smile. "I guess that was pretty obvious," he admitted sheepishly, glancing around the Temple.

"Kind of," Luke agreed, with a shy grin. _So I'm not the only one left,_ he realized, delighted. _Johnny's dad is still around..._

"Anyway, I've been living on Kalydon for the last twenty years, along with a few others," Nikana explained. "We're the last survivors of the Jedi Order," he told Luke gently, his blue eyes filled with encouragement. "We've come back to help you now."

Luke smiled, nodding in gratitude. "I'm glad," he told Johnny's father. "It's nice to meet you," he added sincerely; then he looked around, curious. "There are others?"

"Yes; there are six of us," Nikana said. "The others are in the Council chamber; I'll take you there in a minute," he promised. "But there are a few things I need to explain to you first," he confessed, giving Luke an apologetic look.

"Okay," Luke nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"It's about - how we escaped," Nikana told him, looking down. "After the fall of the Republic - the Emperor knew exactly where we all were," he explained quietly. "He allowed us to survive because - well, mostly because it amused him," Nikana admitted, his expression troubled.

_Yeah, I can believe that,_ Luke sighed in commiseration, recalling his all-too-recent encounter with the cackling, sadistic Sith Lord.

"But he was watching us very closely," Nikana continued seriously. "We couldn't make a move, without him knowing." Luke nodded, giving Johnny's father a look of understanding. "So we, um..." Nikana blinked, troubled. "We came up with a plan, to escape. Well, _I_ did," he confessed. "The whole thing was my idea, and - "

"What?" Luke asked gently, sensing Nikana's obvious discomfort. "How did you escape?"

Nikana sighed in regret. "Have you ever seen those ads on the HoloNet, for work-replacement clones?" he asked Luke, with a hesitant look. "You know, where you can have a clone made - to do your job for you, and then you can... get away from it all?" he said, cringing in embarrassment.

Luke gaped at him, stunned by the audacity of their plan. "No way," he exclaimed, realizing what the Jedi survivors had done. "You guys all cloned yourselves?" Luke grinned in amusement. "So - there are six others, still out there?" he asked Nikana. _That would make twelve... Plus me, and Johnny, and Leia..._

"No," Nikana said, giving Luke a regretful look. "There were originally only - " he blinked, counting on his fingers momentarily. "Five," he explained. "And two of them are dead now," he added. "I think you've met one of them," he told Luke gently. "Ben Kenobi?"

"Ben?" Luke's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. "Ben was... a clone?" he asked, his heart sinking. "So - the real Ben is...?"

"Here," Nikana said, glancing up toward the spire. "Although he doesn't go by Ben," he said, with an amused smile. "He's just Obi-Wan." Luke nodded, as Nikana continued. "Another clone was left on Dagobah - "

"Yoda," Luke realized, blinking. _He was a clone too?_

"You've met him?" Nikana asked, surprised.

Luke nodded. "Ben told me to find him," he explained. "I was there just the other day," he said, giving Nikana a regretful look.

"And?" Nikana sensed his sadness. "Luke, what happened?"

"He - died," Luke told him. "He was sick, and then - " he shook his head unhappily.

Nikana was sobered by this news. "Luke, I'm sorry," he said gently. Luke gave him a sad smile, grateful to have someone to talk to about these things; he hadn't told anyone else of Yoda's death, and was beginning to wonder if maybe he'd imagined his entire existence.

"Anyway," Nikana continued, looking down. "I need to tell you about my own clone," he said, with an apologetic look. Luke nodded sympathetically, sensing that the subject deeply troubled him. "Mine was actually the first to be made, and the reason we resorted to cloning to begin with," he told Luke. "I wasn't off on some distant planet, hiding from the Emperor," he explained. "I was right under his nose... working _for_ him," Nikana admitted, with quiet regret.

Luke blinked, staring at him. "You were working for the Emperor?"

"Yes," Nikana confessed. "It was a mistake," he told Luke, his dark blue eyes filled with remorse. "The biggest mistake of my life," he whispered, looking down. Luke could _feel_ his shame, and sorrow; a heaviness had suddenly come over Nikana's presence, which Luke had sensed before, in someone else.

_Wait a minute,_ Luke thought, caught off guard. _I know that feeling..._ "Vader," he murmured, stunned by what his senses were telling him. "Vader was your clone." Then his eyes widened as he realized what that meant. "So you're - " he blinked, tears suddenly filling his eyes. "You're - my dad?" Luke's voice faltered pathetically.

At this, Nikana failed to suppress a loving smile, and the heaviness which had come over his presence gave way to tenderness, and warmth. It was exactly the same as Vader had felt, just before he died, and Luke smiled tearfully, overwhelmed with relief and happiness. _My father's still alive... My REAL father..._

Anakin got up from his perch on the edge of the raised pool bed, and sat next to Luke now. "I love you, Luke," he said softly, wrapping his arms protectively around him. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered, stroking his hair and kissing him on the top of his head.

For the first time in his life Luke felt the unconditional love of a parent for his child, and his heart ached as he realized what he had missed. "I love you too," he choked, hugging his father in relieved gratitude. "I'm so glad you're here." _So this is what it's like, to not be an orphan..._

Anakin held him close for a long moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, Luke," he apologized, sniffing. "I wish I could have... I've missed you so much," he promised.

"It's all right," Luke assured him, smiling as he gazed proudly at his father. "You're here now."

"Yeah," Anakin agreed, with a grateful smile. "And - " he blinked, sighing. "There are a couple other things I need to explain to you," he confessed, as Luke nodded. "When we escaped to Kalydon, you and Leia were a year old - " he broke off. "You know about Leia, right?" he asked, giving Luke a cautious look.

Luke smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I know," he assured his father.

"Okay... good," Anakin said, with a sheepish smile. "Anyway, we wanted to bring you with us, to Kalydon," he told Luke. "But the Emperor knew about you as well," he explained. "And if you and Leia suddenly disappeared, your foster parents would have been tortured, and killed... As they were in the end, anyway," he pointed out. Luke nodded regretfully, understanding why his father had been forced to leave him behind.

"Like I said," Anakin continued. "There were five clones made, when we left for Kalydon," he explained. "And the last two," he said, giving Luke an apologetic look. "Were yours and Leia's."

Luke blinked. "What?" _Holy crap..._ "So - I'm..." He broke off in disbelief, his entire world suddenly turning upside down. "I'm - a clone?"

Anakin laughed quietly. "No, Luke," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're the real thing. And Leia too... Not that there's a difference," he confessed, with a fond smile. "We ended up taking the clone babies with us, to Kalydon. I've raised them since they were a year old," Anakin explained. "They're exactly like you and Leia; they're wonderful, and beautiful, and - _amazing... _I have four incredible children," Anakin said, with a proud, tender smile. "And I love you _all_."

_Wow..._ Luke blinked, still rather stunned by all of this; but he nodded, accepting it. "So - they're here?"

"Yes," Anakin said, glancing up toward the Council chamber. "Want to meet them?"

Luke grinned. "Heck yeah," he said, getting up from the bench. "So - what are their names?" he asked his father, as they continued through the Room of a Thousand Fountains toward the next hallway.

"Ekul and Aiel," Anakin told him. "That's Luke and Leia, backwards," he explained, with an amused smile.

"Ha," Luke laughed. _I can't wait to meet them..._ "They're Jedi too?"

"Yes," Anakin nodded. "They were knighted about a year ago."

"Cool," Luke said, grinning. _Ah, my clone could probably kick my ass..._ "I'm glad to not be the only Jedi left," he confessed, as they arrived at the elevator. "I mean - not that I really even _am_ one - officially," he stammered apologetically.

Anakin laughed. "Luke, you just took out two Sith Lords and a Death Star," he pointed out. "I'd say you're doing pretty well." Luke smiled shyly, his heart fluttering with pride at the compliment. _Not that I did ANY of that by myself,_ he admitted. "Anyway," Anakin said, as they stepped onto the elevator. "We'll make sure you get caught up on whatever training you've missed," he assured Luke, his blue eyes twinkling encouragingly.

_This is awesome,_ Luke thought, looking out across Coruscant as the elevator ascended to the top of the spire. He had come here this morning overwhelmed by the prospect of rebuilding the Jedi Order by himself, and now it turned out that responsibility was in far more competent hands than his own. _Master Yoda is still alive,_ Luke realized gratefully. _And Obi-Wan as well - the REAL Obi-Wan,_ he blinked, suddenly nervous at the thought of meeting them.

But his father gave him a reassuring smile, sensing his anxiety. "Trust me - they're even more excited to meet _you_," Anakin whispered conspiratorially, as Luke grinned in appreciation. "Come on," his father said, patting him on the shoulder as the elevator came to a stop. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

They arrived at the Council chamber, and Luke was momentarily fascinated by its circular design, and panoramic view of the city; but far more impressive was the fact that the seats encircling the room were occupied by real, live _Jedi_ - who now regarded Luke with a mixture of curiosity and amazement.

"Welcome, young Luke," Master Yoda greeted him solemnly, from his seat at the head of the circle. "A great honor it is, to finally meet you."

Luke's heart fluttered nervously. "Thank you, Master Yoda," he replied, nodding in respect. "It's an honor to meet you as well."

"Hello, Luke," Obi-Wan said, with a warm smile.

"Hi, Luke," echoed a chorus of younger voices, from around the room.

"Hello," Luke greeted them all, unable to suppress a shy grin.

"So," Anakin said, taking over the introductions. "This is Obi-Wan," he began, as Luke smiled, nodding appreciatively; the older Jedi Master had greying reddish hair, and looked about two decades younger than Ben. "And Master Yoda," Anakin said, as Luke nodded politely, noting that Yoda looked about two _centuries_ younger than his clone. _Come to think of it, my dad seems a whole lot younger than Vader, too,_ Luke realized, surprised by the noticeable difference in their ages.

"And this is Tika," Anakin continued - "who is sitting in _my_ chair," he added with a raised eyebrow, as the little Ewok blinked in apology, hopping down from her perch next to Yoda and toddling back to her own seat. "Tika is Yoda's padawan," Anakin explained, as Luke grinned in delight. _She's adorable..._

"And this is Aiel," Anakin said, introducing the girl who looked for all the world like Leia, aside from her decidedly tangled hair and rough-spun clothes.

"Hi, Luke," Aiel said, smiling at him shyly.

"Hello," Luke replied, fascinated to meet his new sister. _Wait 'til Leia finds out her clone is a Nerf herder..._

"And this is Ekul," Anakin finished, turning to the boy on the other side of Obi-Wan.

"Hello," Ekul said, giving Luke a cheerful grin.

"Hi," Luke said, staring at him in amazement; it was like looking in a mirror, except that Ekul's hair was a bit of a shaggy mess. _He reminds me a little of Johnny,_ Luke thought fondly, amused by his friend's vehement refusal to ever get a proper haircut.

Then he remembered. "Johnny!" Luke exclaimed, his eyes widening as he realized the truth. _He IS my brother after all..._

Anakin had just taken his seat next to Yoda, but gave Luke a questioning look now. "Who?"

"Um..." Luke gulped, realizing it was a delicate subject. _They've probably lost track of him, since he got amnesia,_ he guessed. _And in any case, that's not his real name..._ "I - I have another brother... right?" he asked, looking at his father.

"Uh... no," Anakin said, blinking. "Just Ekul."

_Maybe they think he's dead... _"Um - well, I have this friend, who's been with the Alliance for the past three years," Luke explained cautiously. "He has amnesia; he doesn't remember his real name, or his family, or where he's from," he told them. "But - he looks a lot like you," Luke said, giving his father a questioning look. "And - I've always felt like... he was my brother," he confessed, hoping they would know who Johnny was.

But Anakin just frowned. "No, Luke," he said. "You haven't got any other siblings."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked hesitantly. _Johnny HAS to be your kid._ "You're sure you - you couldn't have had any other kids? Maybe that you never knew about?" He blinked in apology, realizing that was perhaps not the most tactful question to bring up in front of the whole group.

Ekul and Aiel were staring at their father in obvious surprise now, and Tika looked up, confused. Luke cringed in dismay, feeling suddenly embarrassed to be standing alone in front of everyone, and sat down next to Ekul now, wishing he could disappear. _Well THAT was a great first impression..._

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, his tone calm but very serious.

"Huh? No," Anakin said, caught off guard. "I swear - there weren't any other kids," he assured them. His brows furrowed momentarily as he tried to at least consider the possibility. "No," he said again, blinking innocently. "There's no way... there couldn't have been."

"Oh," Luke apologized, still feeling awkward. _He's not lying... But he's wrong. He DOES have another kid,_ Luke knew, trying to make sense of this. _He must have gotten some girl pregnant, but never realized it,_ he guessed, resolving to ask his father about it in private sometime.

_Unless..._ Luke blinked, another idea coming to him. "Maybe he's - Vader's kid?" he suggested uncertainly.

"What?" Anakin frowned. "Why would he - who would - how... what? No," he insisted, profoundly disturbed by the concept.

"It's possible, though," Obi-Wan considered, as Anakin continued to scowl in denial. "How old is this boy?" he asked Luke.

"I'm not sure," Luke admitted. "According to his records, he's twenty-eight," he told them. "But that's just a guess."

"Twenty-eight," Obi-Wan repeated, working it out. "So when he was born, Vader would have been... _Seventeen,_" he realized, surprised. Then his brows furrowed indignantly. "And _my_ padawan," he added, giving Anakin an accusatory glare.

"Master, no - I swear," Anakin protested. "It wasn't me."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked, raising a brow in challenge.

Anakin sighed. "Yes," he said. "Honestly - if I'd been having that much of a good time when I was seventeen, don't you think I'd remember it?" He gave Obi-Wan a resentful look. "I remember being seventeen, and _your_ padawan," he said, scowling. "Trust me, Master. I was having _no_ fun at all."

"Good," Obi-Wan said crossly, as Anakin glared back at him, and Ekul, Aiel, and Tika giggled in quiet amusement. Luke looked around the room in disbelief, suddenly wondering if _all_ Jedi were completely and utterly insane.

Yoda had been meditating through all of this, but opened his eyes now, peering at Luke. "This friend of yours," he said, curious. "Like Anakin, you say he looks?"

Luke was starting to wish he hadn't brought this up. "Yes, Master."

"_Exactly_ like Anakin?" Yoda asked.

At this, Obi-Wan frowned, and Anakin blinked worriedly, and suddenly Luke realized what Yoda was getting at. _Holy crap..._ "Yes, Master," he admitted, disturbed by the thought. _Johnny's a clone?_ "He looks exactly like him," Luke confirmed. "Well - I mean, aside from being a little younger," he added, somewhat apologetically.

"A clone, he is," Yoda murmured, sighing in regret. "Vader's clone."

_But why?_ Luke wondered, trying to make sense of it. _Why would Vader make a clone... Only to send him to join the Rebellion... And pretend to have amnesia... Oh, kriff,_ Luke realized, feeling a cruel stab of betrayal. _Johnny's been spying on us this whole time._

"Luke," Obi-Wan said gently, sensing his obvious dismay. "Tell us how you met him; what is his name?"

"Johnny," Luke said, heartbroken. "John Doe... He was a Stormtrooper; we found him stowing aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ - three years ago, right after the first Death Star was destroyed," he explained. _How did I not see this? It was so obvious._ "He claimed he got trapped in there by accident, and that his name was John Doe, and he was an amnesiac, and couldn't answer any of our questions," Luke told the others glumly, realizing how stupid that sounded.

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly, taking this in. "Go on," he encouraged Luke quietly.

"Of _course_ we didn't believe him at first," Luke said. "But then our base on Lok was attacked by Imperials - " _Johnny's friends._ "There was only a small crew there; everyone else was killed, but Johnny helped Leia to escape," Luke told them. "From a Star Destroyer, and a dozen TIE fighters... In an old manual-shift junker, even though he supposedly didn't know how to fly," he sighed unhappily. _Seriously... How stupid ARE we?_

"He seemed - _nice,_" Luke explained helplessly. _He's my best friend._ "General Dodonna made him take a lie detector test, and asked him a bunch of questions, but he passed it," Luke told them. _Because he's a Sith clone, and trained in that sort of thing._ "So we gave him a job as a mechanic," he continued. "He claimed to not know how to fly, so I offered to teach him, and - " Luke shrugged. "Within a couple of weeks he became one of our best pilots," he confessed.

"He was promoted to Captain, and for two years he served as Leia's personal bodyguard," Luke said, disturbed by the thought. _Crap, I let him get near my sister._ "He was in on all of our top-secret meetings; he knew everything we were up to," Luke admitted.

"And then - about eight months ago, I was supposed to go aboard the _Executor_, to download some files," Luke said. "But Johnny insisted on going instead," he told them. "It should have been a one-day assignment; twenty minutes, in and out of there. But the next thing we knew, he was calling us from aboard the Death Star, and said he'd gotten his old Stormtrooper job back. And that he wanted to stay there, and 'spy' for us," Luke sighed, shaking his head. _He was working for Vader all along._

"He spent the last eight months aboard the Death Star; he sent us information now and then, but - " Luke sighed. "Nothing we couldn't have figured out, some other way," he admitted. "And then two days ago, after the Death Star was destroyed... Suddenly he was Grand Moff, in charge of the whole Imperial fleet," Luke told them. _Honestly, how did I not see any of this?_ "He's the one who negotiated the cease-fire with Mon Mothma."

"And now?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned. "He's here on Coruscant?"

"Yes," Luke said. "Mon Mothma ordered him to step down as Grand Moff - which he did," he told them. _He didn't want to blow his cover._ "She's appointed him as her personal bodyguard," Luke informed them regretfully. "And now he's the official head of security for the New Republic."

"Crap," Anakin muttered, getting up and heading for the elevator. "We'd better go deal with this - "

"Anakin, sit down," Obi-Wan reproached him; Anakin sighed impatiently, but obediently took his seat next to Yoda once again. "Luke," Obi-Wan continued, giving him a curious look. "This - John Doe... He's under the impression that you're his friend?" he asked. "And that you trust him?"

Luke sighed unhappily. "Yes," he admitted. _I DID trust him. I trusted him more than anyone._ Luke had shared things with Johnny that he'd never dared tell the others - not even Leia. Such as his visits to Dagobah, and his talks with Yoda, and Ben... _I am such an idiot._

"We'll use his own tricks against him," Obi-Wan suggested quietly. "Luke, if you asked him to meet you here at the Temple... If you told him you needed his help with something," he asked. "Would he come?"

Luke hung his head, dismayed by the thought. "Yes," he told them. "He would come." _And we will kill him,_ he realized, heartbroken and betrayed.

"Deal with Vader's clone, we must," Yoda said. "Better to confront him now, and catch him off guard," he proposed, as Anakin and the others nodded in unanimous agreement. "Than to wait until he has learned of our existence."

_Johnny,_ Luke thought helplessly, fighting tears. _You were my best friend. I loved you, _he confessed, his heart sinking. _How has it come to this?_ But he agreed with the Council's decision, and knew that it had to be done.

"All right," Luke said, nodding dully. "I'll give him a call."


	25. And they all live

**Chapter 25**

_Meanwhile..._

"So how was college?" Johnny asked, as he helped Kalana with her repair work. "You were studying Marine Biology, right?"

"No," Kalana told him. "I ended up doing a two-year Engineering program," she said, crouching over the speeder's engine. "Turns out the University of Coruscant doesn't have much of a Marine Biology department."

"Oh." Johnny blinked uncomfortably; he had always wondered if it was because of _him_ that she'd chosen to stay on Coruscant in the first place. Kalana had been offered a scholarship at the University of Alderaan - one of the most prestigious schools in the galaxy - but she had turned it down. Johnny had been working for Raq at the time; it was only after Kalana started college that he had gotten the idea to join the Imperial Army.

"Well," he pointed out, somewhat apologetically. "As it turns out, the University of Alderaan doesn't have much of a Marine Biology department either."

"No kidding," Kalana agreed, as they shared a regretful glance.

"I'm glad you went for the Engineering program," Johnny said quietly.

"Yeah, me too," Kalana said, grunting slightly as she struggled to remove a corroded bolt. "It's not the most exciting thing," she admitted, pulling out a gunky mess of parts and setting them on the nearby dropcloth. "But it's practical," she said, with a good-natured shrug.

"Yeah," Johnny agreed, impressed by her work. _Come on,_ he scolded himself. _Ask her out... Say something._ "It's good to see you," he confessed, giving her an appreciative glance. "You look..."

"Awful," Kalana laughed, cringing at her baggy coveralls.

"No," Johnny assured her. _I was going to say adorable._ "Well, aside from - " he pointed to her cheek. "You've got a little smudge, right there."

"Oh. Sorry." Kalana wiped at it with the back of her sleeve, but missed. "Engine grease," she sighed ruefully.

"Ahh, I hate engine grease," Johnny commiserated. "It's thick, and messy, and annoying... And it gets everywhere," he said, breaking Raq's rule for the first time as he gently touched her cheek, rubbing away the offending smudge. "Not like you," he assured her, as Kalana smiled in shy appreciation. "You're everything soft, and smooth..." Johnny broke off helplessly. _Gah. Worst Pickup Line Ever. _

But Kalana giggled in amusement, her eyes twinkling. "Johnny Doe, are you flirting with me?"

"No!" Johnny protested, horrified by the thought. _Because if that was flirting, I might have to shoot myself._ Then he saw her pouty look, and cringed. "Well - maybe?"

He was saved from further embarrassment as his comlink buzzed. _Thank goodness..._ "Sorry," he apologized to Kalana, taking the call. "Yes?"

"Hey Johnny, it's Luke," came the reply.

"Hey Luke," Johnny said. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm at the Jedi Temple," Luke told him. "I was wondering if you could come by here, if you get a chance?"

"Oh - sure," Johnny agreed. "I'll be right there... Is everything all right?"

"Fine," Luke assured him. "I just - have a question about something," he explained vaguely.

_A question? Huh..._ "Okay," Johnny said. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he promised. Then he turned to Kalana. "I have to go," he apologized, glancing out the window toward the Jedi Temple in the distance. "Luke needs me for something."

Kalana blinked in surprise. "Luke... S_kywalker?_"

Johnny grinned. "Yeah," he said, with a modest shrug. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Luke was a galactic celebrity - a legendary war hero, and not just his best friend. "I'll try to stop by later tonight, okay?"

Kalana nodded, smiling. "All right... I'll see you later, then."

"See you later," Johnny said, grinning shyly as he headed out the door.

_So what's Luke up to?_ Johnny wondered, turning toward the Jedi Temple and continuing through the city streets. _He's probably trying to figure out how to get in there,_ he guessed, with an amused grin. _We can do it,_ he felt confident; the Temple was sealed shut by four tremendous monoliths, but Johnny was already formulating ideas for how to move them.

_We could attach some tow cables, using Tyrshian Super Glue,_ Johnny considered; he and Vader had used it all the time for their model spaceships, as it bonded with nearly any material, and held ridiculously fast - as long as it didn't get wet. _Hook them up to the Falcon, and pull the statues away from the entrance; then just hose it all down when we're done,_ Johnny mused. _It shouldn't be too hard..._

But as he arrived at the Jedi Temple, Johnny gaped in astonishment to see that the enormous monoliths had already been moved, and the entrance was open. _LUKE did that?_ Johnny blinked, incredulous; the monoliths had to weigh several tons each, but now they stood outside the doorway in perfect formation, spread apart just wide enough to allow entrance. _That's - unbelievable..._

Johnny stepped cautiously inside the Temple, gazing in wonder as he beheld the great entrance hall, lined with statues of Jedi Knights. _This place is amazing._ Then he spotted Luke at the far end of the hall, and grinned cheerfully, going over to join him. "Luke," Johnny said, looking around in awe. "How did you - "

He broke off in surprise as three other figures emerged from the shadows, standing behind Luke. _Huh...? Oh, crap! _The strangers were dressed in simple country garb, and looked more like Nerf herders than ruffians, but Johnny sensed danger, and his hand moved instinctively to the blaster at his side.

"Don't try it," said a disdainful voice; Johnny blinked in alarm as his blaster was pulled from his hand, then flew across the room, where it was caught by the leader of the three strangers. At least he appeared to be their leader; he was an older man, with greying reddish hair and a beard, and now he clipped Johnny's blaster onto his own utility belt, next to the lightsaber hilt which hung prominently at his side. _He's a Jedi?_

Johnny looked at the other two strangers; one was a small green alien with pointy ears, and the other was - _Holy crap,_ Johnny gasped, recognizing the man who stood on the other side of Luke now. _That's - my father,_ he realized suddenly, noting the undeniable similarity. _Luke found my father... And he's a Jedi too? _Johnny smiled involuntarily, his heart fluttering in disbelief; but his smile faded as he saw their cold, stern expressions.

_What... They're mad at me?_ Johnny blinked uncertainly; he could _feel_ their disapproval. "Luke... what's going on?"

But Luke was equally unsympathetic. "You tell us," he said quietly.

_Huh?_ Johnny glanced at the others, then back at Luke, alarmed and confused by his friend's icy gaze. _What did I do?_ But then it began to dawn on him: the amnesia, the PTSD... _Oh, crap,_ Johnny realized, guessing at the truth. The doctors had told him that something traumatic had happened, five years ago; something so terrible that it had caused him to forget his entire life.

_I thought something happened TO me,_ Johnny admitted, his heart sinking. But now - judging by his father's condemning glare - it looked as though _he_ himself had been the cause of it. _I did something bad, and now they all hate me._ "No," Johnny gasped, shuddering involuntarily. "No..." Suddenly he felt weak all over, and trembled, sinking to his knees. "I'm sorry," Johnny choked, overwhelmed with grief and despair. "For whatever I did - I'm sorry..."

"You _know_ what you did," Luke said coldly.

"No - I don't," Johnny insisted helplessly, giving his father a pleading look. "Whatever I did - I swear, I don't remember it."

"You lied to me," Luke told him; there was an edge of bitterness in his tone. "And to Leia," he added, less forgiving on that count.

"No! I didn't," Johnny protested. "I mean... Not on purpose - "

"You can stop with the drama," the older man said, unimpressed. "Your little act may have worked on Luke, but I assure you it won't work with us," he informed Johnny. "We know exactly who you are... and _what_ you are," he added cryptically, as Johnny looked down, gulping back tears of dismay. "Get up," the man reproached him; Johnny nodded numbly, obeying. "Now," the older man instructed him, his demeanor calm yet dangerous. "Tell us about your relationship with Vader."

_Huh?_ Johnny blinked, caught off guard. _Is that what this is about?_ He looked at Luke now, confused but suddenly hopeful. _No, that's just a misunderstanding._ Johnny had never told Luke about his friendship with Vader, but he could see how that would look suspicious, if he'd somehow found out. "No - Luke, it's not what you think," Johnny assured him. "It was - an accident; I didn't mean for it to happen."

The older man frowned, not entirely following. "For what to happen?"

Johnny looked down. "I saved his life," he confessed. "I know I shouldn't have," he added, with an apologetic look. "But - it was on Endor, a few months ago," Johnny tried to explain. "Vader got attacked by Ewoks, and I chased them off - "

"You really expect us to believe this?" Luke interrupted bitterly.

Johhny sighed, crestfallen. "No," he admitted, meeting Luke's accusatory gaze. "But it's the truth."

"Go on," the older man said quietly.

Johnny nodded. "Anyway, Vader was hurt really bad," he admitted, shrugging. "And I know I should have just let him die, but - I saw him with his helmet off..." He gave Luke a regretful look. "And I knew he was your father," he said quietly. "I could just - tell, somehow."

Luke's expression was still distrustful, but the others seemed curious at this revelation, so Johnny continued, hoping to clear this up. "After that, Vader asked me to join his personal security team," he explained. "So I did. I mean - I _was_ supposed to be spying on him," Johnny pointed out, somewhat defensively. "And then - " he sighed, looking down. "We sort of - became friends," he admitted, with an awkward shrug.

"Friends?" Luke asked, skeptical.

"Yeah," Johnny said, casting a hesitant glance at his father. _Terrific; this makes a great impression on my dad,_ he thought glumly. _On top of whatever else I did, I ended up making friends with Darth Vader. _"He seemed - I don't know... _lonely_," Johnny confessed. "So I hung out with him, sometimes, during our time off. We watched pod racing, worked on model spaceships; stuff like that," he explained. "I know I should have told you," Johnny apologized to Luke. "But I didn't think you wanted to know."

Luke sighed, shaking his head. "I wish I could believe you."

Johnny gave him a confused look. "What is it that you don't believe?"

The others shared a quiet glance, and finally the older man spoke. "We believe that your relationship with Vader went beyond _friendship._"

"What?" Johnny blinked, startled. _They think Vader - and ME...? That we were... WHAT? _"No! I - we - " He gave Luke a look of sheer disbelief. _Seriously?_ "No, I swear," he protested. "He wasn't - we weren't - I mean - Luke, he was your _father_," Johnny stammered, taken aback. "It wasn't like that, at all - I promise... He never tried to - to touch me, or anything..."

The older man frowned, puzzled. "Why would he touch you?"

Johnny blinked in confusion. "I don't know." _YOU brought it up. _His father was looking profoundly disturbed by this concept as well, and Johnny sighed, crestfallen. _Is THAT why my father hates me? _he wondered, trying to make sense of it. _Was I... Was I gay, before I got amnesia?_ He scowled, suddenly indignant. _Well now I'm not sure I like him either, if he's going to disown me over THAT._

But the older man was unimpressed. "Don't try to change the subject," he reproached him. _I wasn't - I didn't..._ Johnny sighed in defeat. "We know that you were Vader's Apprentice," the man continued, his tone calm yet serious. "And that you're working with Mara Jade."

"What?" Johnny was startled by the accusation; but then he frowned uncertainly. "Who's Mara Jade?"

Luke's brows furrowed. "Who's Mara Jade?"

The older man sighed. "Mara Jade was the Emperor's Hand; Palpatine's illegal second Apprentice," he explained quietly, to Luke. Then he turned to Johnny, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "Just as _you_ were Vader's."

"Vader's Apprentice?" Johnny blinked, staring at them all in utter confusion. "Is that what you guys think?"

"Yes," the older man replied, unruffled. "That is what we think."

"Well... I'm _not_," Johnny insisted flatly. _Though that explains why they all hate me..._

"Don't try to lie to us," the older man said disdainfully. "Or we will know it," he assured him. "Now," he continued, focusing his gaze on Johnny. "Do you honestly expect us to believe that Vader's interest in you was simply _friendship?_"

"Yes," Johnny insisted again. "Well - _no_, I don't expect you to believe it," he sighed helplessly. "But it's the truth," he promised, looking the older man straight in the eyes. _And if you're really a Jedi, you should know that I'm not lying._

The man frowned, suddenly uncertain. "So - you're saying Vader never tried to teach you anything?" he asked, puzzled. "Anything at all?"

"No," Johnny told him. "Well - I mean, aside from little things," he conceded hesitantly.

"Little things?" The older man's brows furrowed. "Like what?"

"Like - what sort of modeling glue to use," Johnny confessed, realizing that complete honesty was his best hope in this matter. "Who's the best pod racer on Malastare... Never to order Nylog Surprise from the Officer's Lounge - " _Ahh, don't be a smartass..._ "Things like that," he told the others, with an apologetic shrug. "I swear, there was nothing else going on." _I wasn't his Apprentice, and I DEFINITELY wasn't his lover._

"He never attempted to train you in Force powers?" the older man asked, clearly baffled by this concept.

"No, nothing like that," Johnny assured him. "He never talked about his work," he confessed. "I got the feeling - he didn't like it."

The older man frowned. "How so?"

"Well - I mean, things were always going wrong on the Death Star," Johnny pointed out. "And Vader put on a good show of acting all grumpy and bossy on the job," he told them. "But in private - he honestly didn't seem to care," Johnny admitted. "When he was off work... He was totally different."

"Different... How?" his father asked uncertainly, speaking for the first time.

"I don't know; he seemed - _nice,_" Johnny confessed. "I mean - he was Luke's dad," he reminded them. _You guys must have known him, back when he was a Jedi._ "I could tell that he - felt bad, for how his life turned out," he explained apologetically. "He had a lot of regrets, but - there was still good in him," Johnny said. "Right up until the end."

"I sensed it as well," Luke admitted.

The others were sobered by this news; Johnny could feel his father's pain at the realization. The older man bowed his head in deep regret, and the green alien's ears drooped unhappily. _He was a good friend of theirs, before he turned,_ Johnny realized, sensing their profound sadness.

Finally the little alien spoke. "The truth, I believe he is telling us," he said, as the others nodded in solemn agreement.

Johnny nodded earnestly, grateful that they finally believed him. "Anyway, I'm sorry, for... For whatever I did - before," he apologized unhappily.

The older man's brows furrowed. "Before what?"

"Before I got amnesia," Johnny reminded them. "Whatever happened... I don't remember it."

"So - the amnesia's real?" his father asked, baffled and confused. "Vader never told you who you were?"

"No..." Johnny blinked. "Vader knew?" He gave his father a surprised look. _Well of course he knew,_ he realized suddenly. _If he knew my dad, he would have guessed who I was._ "No," Johnny admitted unhappily. "No one has ever bothered to fill me in on that little detail."

_And now would be a nice time,_ he thought, as his confession was met with silence and uncomfortable stares. His father looked decidedly troubled by this news, and the little alien shook his head in regret; Luke seemed to be taking his cues from the others, and gave Johnny an apologetic cringe now.

The older man stroked his greying beard, then sighed. "Well this is rather awkward," he confessed.

_No kidding_. "So... Who am I?" Johnny asked, a bit pathetically.

Luke gave the others an uncertain glance, but finally took pity on Johnny, breaking his silence. "You're - family," he said hesitantly.

Johnny blinked. "Really?" He had guessed about his own father; the resemblance was glaringly obvious. _But Luke's related to us too?_ Johnny grinned in surprise. _This is awesome; maybe we're cousins, or something..._

"Yeah," Luke said, managing a smile. "It's - complicated..." _Yeah, I figured,_ Johnny thought; he was aware of the fact that Jedi weren't supposed to have families at all. "It turns out - we were wrong about Vader," Luke explained. "He wasn't my father, after all. Well - not technically..."

"Huh?" Johnny blinked in confusion. "He wasn't?"

"No," Luke said. "Vader was... a clone," he confessed.

"A clone?" Johnny repeated, baffled. _Like... From the Clone Wars?_

"Yeah," Luke said. "I mean - not that there's anything wrong with that," he added quickly.

"Okay," Johnny agreed, not quite following. _So - Vader was a Mandalorian?_ He frowned, trying to make sense of it. _No; he had blue eyes..._

"It turns out Ben and Yoda were clones, too," Luke told him. _Huh?_ "This is the real Master Yoda," Luke said, introducing the little green alien beside him. _What?_ "And this is Obi-Wan," he explained, gesturing to the older man with the greying-reddish hair, as Johnny stared at them both in confusion. _Oh..._

Then he remembered his manners. "Um - nice to meet you," Johnny said quickly.

"And this," Luke continued, turning to Johnny's father - "is Anakin," he said, with a shy smile. "My real dad."

"What?" Johnny blinked. _YOUR dad?_ "So - Vader was...?"

"His clone," Luke confirmed, his expression regretful.

Johnny frowned. "Really?" he asked, squinting at Anakin doubtfully. _I seriously don't see the resemblance there_. But then he realized the implication. _Wait a minute - if he's Luke's dad... And he's obviously MY dad... That means - _"So... we're - brothers?" Johnny asked Luke, his eyes widening in surprise.

Luke grinned. "Yeah... Well - kind of," he conceded, shrugging. "In a weird sort of way."

"Oh," Johnny said. "What; like - half brothers?" he asked, giving his father a questioning look.

"Not exactly," Luke said. "Johnny... we think - " he broke off apologetically. "We think Vader made a clone as well."

"What?" Johnny asked, alarmed. _Crap, that's not good... _He was eager to learn more about his family - not to mention his own identity - but he set those questions aside for now, realizing that they had more urgent matters to deal with. _Vader made a clone?_ "So - you think he's still out there, somewhere?"

"Um - " Luke blinked uncomfortably. "Yeah..."

Suddenly Johnny was aware that all eyes were on him. "What?" he asked, confused by their stares. Then suddenly it hit him. _If Vader made a clone, he would look like - _"No," Johnny whispered, his heart sinking; suddenly he felt dizzy. "No..."

"Johnny," Luke said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right."

_How is it all right?_ Johnny wondered, horrified. _You just told me I'm Darth Vader's clone._ "So I'm not even - a real person?" he asked pathetically.

"Of course you are," Luke reassured him. "Johnny, you're my best friend. _And_ my brother," he insisted consolingly; Johnny managed a weak smile, grateful as always for the younger boy's easy acceptance. "Speaking of which," Luke said, glancing toward the statues behind them. "There's someone else I want you to meet."

A moment later three other figures emerged from their hiding places, and Johnny blinked in confusion as they were joined by a little Ewok, along with a girl that he would have sworn was Leia - if she hadn't been dressed as a Nerf herder, and accompanied by a boy who looked exactly like Luke. _What the - ?_

"This is Ekul, and this is Aiel," Luke said, introducing them. "And this is Tika," he added, smiling fondly at the young Ewok.

_Wow... _"Hi," Johnny said, staring at them all in surprise. "So - you guys are clones too?" he asked, rather stupidly.

"Yeah," Ekul said good-naturedly, as Aiel nodded in cheerful agreement.

But Tika frowned. "Speak for yourselves... _I'm_ not," she told Johnny, giggling mischievously as Aiel kicked her.

Johnny grinned despite himself. "Nice to meet you," he said, suddenly feeling less freakish about it. But something still puzzled him, and he looked at Aiel in confusion. "You're - Leia's clone?" he asked, trying to make sense of it.

"That's right," Aiel nodded matter-of-factly.

"But... _Why?_" Johnny asked, baffled.

"Oh," Luke said, understanding his confusion. "Yeah, I forgot to tell you: Leia's my sister."

Johnny blinked. "She is?"

"Yeah," Luke said, grinning. "Well, I mean - she's _our_ sister," he corrected himself, including Ekul, Aiel, and Johnny in that equation.

"Wow," Johnny said, blinking in astonishment. _This is crazy..._

"Welcome to the family," Anakin said with an amused smile, patting Johnny on the shoulder.

"Ha... Thanks," Johnny said shyly. _This has got to be weird for him, too._ But he was overwhelmed by their kindness, and his heart fluttered as everyone hugged him now, accepting him as one of their own. _I've found my family, after all,_ Johnny realized, suddenly fighting tears. _Crap, I think I'm going to cry..._

"This place is - incredible," Johnny gulped, quickly changing the subject and casting a curious glance toward the next room. He could see that it was a spacious atrium, filled with picturesque bridges, walkways, and empty pool beds, all glowing in the morning sunlight which filtered down from above. "Is that - the Room of a Thousand Fountains?" he asked; Leia had shown them a picture of it once, on the HoloNet.

"Uh... Well, at the moment, it's the Room of _No_ Fountains," Ekul pointed out, with a rueful grin.

"But we're going to fix it up," Tika assured Johnny, leading the way into the atrium. "Master Yoda says we can bring back some ferns, from Endor," she added brightly, as Yoda nodded in fond approval. "Aiel and I have all sorts of plans for the gardens."

"Cool," Johnny said, looking around and trying to envision the place as it had once been. "Well if you guys need help with anything, let me know," he offered, eyeing the elaborate fountain system curiously. "I'm good at fixing things," he confessed, with a modest shrug.

At this, Anakin laughed quietly, and Johnny looked down, feeling suddenly embarrassed. _Right; they're Jedi,_ he realized. _They don't need my help._

But Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder. "We would be grateful for your assistance," he assured Johnny. "Though I have a feeling you might be good at more than just fixing things," he added cryptically, as Johnny looked at him, not quite following. "Just a guess," Obi-Wan said, sharing a knowing glance with Master Yoda and the others. "Seeing as you're officially tied for the highest midichlorian count in the entire galaxy."

"What?" Johnny blinked, startled; he glanced at Anakin now, who shrugged matter-of-factly. _Highest midichlorian count in the galaxy?_

"Normally we look for much younger candidates, for our new trainees," Obi-Wan confessed. "But in light of Luke's impressive progress, we're willing to make an exception in your case," he told Johnny seriously. "And Leia's as well, if she's interested."

Johnny grinned. "Wow... Really?" He blinked, overwhelmed. "Yeah," he agreed. "I mean - I'll try," he added shyly.

But Luke raised a brow in mock reproach. "There is no _try_," he reminded him.

"Oh - right," Johnny apologized; Luke had told him about his training on Dagobah, and it all sounded pretty mysterious. _Gah, I hope I can learn this stuff..._

But Obi-Wan frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean, there is no try?" The others blinked, equally confused by the concept.

Luke gave them a hesitant look. "It's what Master Yoda taught me - I mean, on Dagobah," he said, suddenly uncertain. "Why... is that wrong?"

Obi-Wan's brows furrowed. "Well of course there's a _try_," he said, as Yoda sighed wearily, shaking his head. "How else would anyone ever learn anything?"

Johnny laughed quietly, sharing an amused look with Luke. "Sounds good to me," he said, nodding appreciatively. "I'm happy to help out, however I can." _Jedi training? Wait 'til Kalana hears about this..._ Then he blinked, remembering.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked, sensing his hesitancy.

"Um," Johnny apologized, uncertain how to phrase this. "Would I have to be - a eunuch?" He gave Anakin a wary look. _He has four kids,_ he realized. _HE obviously got away with it... Maybe they make exceptions?_

Anakin's brows furrowed uncomfortably, and Aiel and Tika giggled, as Ekul shook his head in amusement.

"That rule has been changed," Obi-Wan informed him.

"Oh," Johnny said.

"It was a bad rule," Anakin added, scowling defensively.

"Ekul's married," Aiel pointed out. "He has a kid."

Johnny turned to him, surprised. "Really?"

Luke blinked. "Really?"

Ekul grinned, shrugging. "Yeah."

"Saryja and Taran are on Kalydon, for the moment," Obi-Wan explained. "But they'll be joining us here, once things settle down a bit."

"Why do you ask?" Ekul said, curious. "Is there a girl?"

Suddenly Johnny felt all eyes on him. "Um - no," he stammered, embarrassed.

"Unless you count Kalana," Luke mentioned innocently.

"Oh... _Her_," Johnny admitted, with a self-conscious grin. "Yeah, that's going to go over well," he sighed, still coming to terms with his newfound identity. "Hi, Kalana. I'm Darth Vader's clone. Marry me..." He shook his head, as Aiel and Tika giggled quietly.

But Ekul gave him a puzzled look. "Why did he make you, anyway?"

Johnny shrugged helplessly. "I wish I knew."

Luke frowned. "So he just - left you on the streets?" he asked, trying to make sense of it. "And it really was just an accident, that he ever found you again at all?"

"Apparently," Johnny sighed, equally baffled.

"Maybe he... _lost_ you?" Aiel suggested, furrowing her brows.

"Or he abandoned you," Obi-Wan mused. "Perhaps he intended to train you as his Apprentice, but changed his mind."

"Well... I could ask him," Luke offered helpfully.

But the others stared at him, disturbed by this proposal. "How?" Anakin asked cautiously. "I thought he was dead."

"Well... yeah," Luke admitted. "But - I saw him afterward, on Endor," he told them. "With Ben and Yoda... I mean - the other ones," he explained. "Ben talks to me sometimes; hopefully Vader will, too..." He broke off, seeing their alarmed expressions. "What... is that not normal?"

The others shared a worried look. "Uh, Luke," Anakin said, somewhat uncomfortably. "We don't - we don't talk to ghosts."

"Oh," Luke said, blinking.

"How long has this been going on?" Obi-Wan asked.

"A couple of years," Luke confessed apologetically. "I mean, ever since - Ben died."

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan murmured. "How often does he talk to you?"

"Not very often," Luke admitted. "Just a few times, really."

The others sighed, visibly relieved. "Luke," Obi-Wan explained gently. "The phenomenon you've experienced is known as Transcendence. The ability to speak through the Force was an ancient Jedi art - which had been forgotten for centuries, until recently. And as it turns out, for good reason."

"Transcendence leads to telepathy," Yoda stated cryptically.

"And _telepathy_ leads to hearing voices, and seeing ghosts," Obi-Wan said. "Which in turn leads to - " he sighed, shaking his head.

Luke blinked, alarmed. "The Dark side?"

"No," Obi-Wan said. "_Insanity,_" he corrected Luke, with deep regret. "As far as we can tell, it seems to bring on a form of schizophrenia, combined with early senility; forgetfulness, personality changes, general confusion - "

"Ohhhhhh," Luke said, sobered by the realization. "So _that's_ what was wrong with them?"

"I'm afraid so," Obi-Wan said. "If you're still in contact with them, Luke - it's very important that you break it off."

Luke nodded in unhappy agreement. "All right," he said quietly. "But - if Vader tries to talk to me," Luke added, giving the others a hesitant look. "Can I ask him, about Johnny?" he pleaded. "Just this once?"

Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin shared a concerned glance, but nodded quietly. "Talk to him, you may," Yoda agreed. "Curious about this matter, we are as well," he confessed. "But dangerous to your sanity, Transcendence is," he warned Luke. "The _last_ time, this will be."

Luke nodded, accepting their decision. "Yes, Master Yoda," he said. "I understand."


	26. Happily ever after

**Chapter 26**

_Later that evening..._

_What a day,_ Luke thought with a weary sigh as he slipped quietly through the streets of Coruscant, masking his presence and sticking to the shadows as much as possible in an attempt to avoid notice.

He had made galactic news yet again this morning, after a passer-by had noticed that the entrance to the Jedi Temple was miraculously open, for the first time in over two decades. Master Yoda and the others were not yet ready to announce their return publicly, and so Luke had taken charge of the situation, confirming to a throng of news reporters that he had indeed re-opened the Temple, and that plans of restoring the Jedi Order were currently under discussion.

A small delegation of New Republic officials had paid a visit to the Temple earlier today; but thus far only Leia and Mon Mothma had been told the truth. Leia had been shocked to meet her strange new Jedi family, but after her initial surprise, she had quickly warmed up to them; she and Aiel had been fascinated by each other, and had bonded nearly instantly. Leia had agreed to begin her formal Jedi training along with Johnny and Luke, and hoped to serve the New Republic as a Jedi Ambassador.

Mon Mothma had been relieved to learn that Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were still alive. She had listened quietly as they explained about the cloning situation, and had agreed that under the circumstances, it had probably been their best chance of survival. Convincing the _public_ of that fact would be another matter; but the existence of Ekul, Aiel, and Johnny made it difficult to cover up, and in the end it was decided that full disclosure was the best course of action. Tomorrow the Jedi would make their first public appearance before the fledgling Senate, and the news of their return was certain to take the galaxy by storm.

_Soon the whole galaxy will learn that Darth Vader was Anakin's clone; and that Johnny is Vader's clone,_ Luke realized, sighing apprehensively as he continued through the streets. People would have questions - and rightfully so; questions that the Jedi themselves could not completely answer. _Why did Vader make Johnny, anyway?_ Luke wondered again. _If he just wanted him as a friend... Why did he abandon him on the streets of Coruscant, and lose track of him for two years?_

It made no sense whatsoever, and Luke had spent over three hours today in the Jedi Temple's meditation tower, focusing his thoughts in an attempt to contact Vader's ghost. But even with Master Yoda and Obi-Wan's coaching, he'd had no luck. Finally Anakin had pointed out that if _he_ were Vader (which, coincidentally, he _had_ been) he might feel uncomfortable returning to the Jedi Temple, and that perhaps a different location might work better.

Luke suspected that the problem could be easily solved in another way, and that with the help of a little Tibanna gas, or a good bonk on the head, he'd be talking to Vader's ghost in no time; but he'd kept those ideas to himself. And so now he was on his way to a place that Anakin suspected Vader was far more likely to visit - the Sith Lord's own private apartment, where he had stayed whenever his duties had brought him here to Coruscant.

Lord Vader had of course been assigned an official suite within the Imperial Palace; but by all accounts he rarely set foot in it, and had never stayed there overnight. Instead, he had procured his own quarters several blocks away, and Luke looked up curiously now as he approached an upscale apartment tower in the Ambassadorial Sector, confirming the address that Anakin had given him: _500 Republica_.

He entered the lobby, then stepped onto the transparisteel lift, pressing the button for the penthouse suite and entering the secret passcode Anakin had given him. _It still works,_ Luke noted with a relieved sigh, as the elevator began its ascent to the top floor. _Vader never changed the code._

A few moments later the elevator came to a stop again, dinging as the door opened. Luke stepped into the foyer of the penthouse suite, gazing in fascination at his colorful surroundings: the walls were painted a deep, rich blue, with royal indigo carpeting, offset by silver and gold. _She loved bright colors,_ Luke thought wistfully, recalling what Anakin had told him earlier today. _My mother..._ For this apartment had once belonged to Padme Amidala, Senator and former Queen of Naboo, before Lord Vader had taken it as his own.

Earlier this afternoon Anakin had sat down with Luke and Leia, showing them a holo-album with pictures of their mother, which he had lovingly put together for Ekul and Aiel when they were children. Anakin had been astonished to learn that Leia actually remembered Padme; Aiel had always insisted the same thing, but no one had ever quite believed her. Luke had no memory whatsoever of his mother, but had been touched to finally learn who she was, and to see her pictures.

The foyer opened into a large living room, also furnished in blue and gold, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out across the city of Coruscant. At the other end was a small hallway; Luke found his way into the master bedroom, gazing at the luxurious king-sized bed with its shimmering blue velour coverings, and realizing that he and Leia had been conceived in this very room.

_So this is where my life began,_ Luke thought, looking around in quiet wonder. The decor was understated yet elegant; the windowsill held a collection of interesting and unusual figurines, and Luke reached a hand toward one of them now, levitating a smooth silver orb with fascination. On the other side of the room was a recessed closet alcove, where an assortment of colorful dresses still hung; curious, he set the orb down, going over to admire them.

_She sure loved fancy clothes,_ Luke thought, looking through his mother's wardrobe and longingly touching the soft, rich fabrics. Nearby was a large mirrored dresser, still cluttered with a variety of perfumes, cosmetics, and ornate hair accessories. It was hardly the sort of thing one would expect to find in the apartment of a Sith Lord; Luke suppressed an amused grin now, realizing that he had undoubtedly stumbled upon the source of one of the more bizarre rumors which had found its way into the tabloids over the years: that the mysterious and enigmatic Lord Darth Vader was in fact a closet transvestite.

_Like any of these dresses would fit him,_ Luke laughed to himself, dismissing the ridiculous image that popped into his mind. _I bet my mom looked pretty in them though..._ Smiling wistfully, he made his way back out to the hallway, curious to see the rest of the apartment.

The hallway led to a large, open rotunda, surrounded by stately ivory columns and silk curtains which billowed lightly in the cool evening air. In the center was a small golden fountain, with red-upholstered couches on either side. _Well that's not a bad view,_ Luke admitted as he gazed out across the city, its lights twinkling cheerfully against the dwindling glow of the sunset.

_This place feels oddly familiar,_ Luke confessed, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to identify the strange sensation. _I feel like..._ Suddenly he grinned, realizing exactly what it was that he felt. _Like I'm being watched._ Opening his eyes, Luke turned around to face the newcomer: a shimmering blue figure who looked far more like Johnny - and Anakin, for that matter - than Vader as he remembered him.

"Sorry," the ghost said, with an awkward smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"No," Luke assured him. "I'm not scared; just - surprised," he confessed. "You look... different."

Vader's apparition grinned ruefully. "No kidding," he agreed, with a baffled glance at himself. "I don't know why I look like this," he apologized. "Apparently the Force thinks I'm twenty-something."

Luke smiled in fond amusement; but then a thought occurred to him. "In a way, you _are_," he murmured, half to himself. _He was cloned a year after I was born._ "In a way, you're younger than me."

Vader frowned doubtfully. "What way would that be?"

Luke gave him a curious look. "Do you remember, years ago - visiting a cloning lab, on Coruscant?" he asked cautiously.

Vader sighed, nodding. "You're asking about Johnny," he said, taking a seat on one of the couches.

"No," Luke said. "Well - yes," he admitted, sitting down across from him. "But I meant - _before_ Johnny," he clarified. "That wasn't the first time you'd tried it."

Vader blinked, caught off guard. "How do you know about that?"

Luke smiled apologetically. "I have my sources."

"Ah." Vader shrugged, accepting it. "Yes, I tried once before; about twenty years ago," he confessed. "But it didn't work out," he explained. "They said it couldn't be done back then, because of my injuries."

Luke sighed, sensing Vader's obvious regret. _I need to tell him,_ he realized; he and Anakin had agreed on it earlier. _It might be a comfort to him, to know the truth: that a lot of what happened wasn't his fault._ "It _could_ be done," Luke said quietly, meeting his gaze. "It _was_ done."

"What?" Vader blinked, confused; then understanding began to set in. "You mean... I'm - " His eyes widened in disbelief. "He got away?" Vader asked, incredulous. Luke nodded regretfully, but Vader just shook his head. "That son of a - " He broke off, grinning in profound amusement.

"You're not mad?" Luke gave him a surprised look.

"Mad? No," Vader said, still chuckling quietly. "Though I feel a little stupid," he confessed, with a sheepish grin. "I should have known."

"He feels terrible, for what he did to you," Luke told him. "He said if he'd thought it through, _he_ would have stayed in that job, and sent you to take care of other things. But - he _didn't_ think it through," Luke apologized, on his father's behalf.

"Well of course he didn't," Vader agreed. "Because _I_ didn't. But - I'm glad he got away," he confessed. "It's what I always meant to do. And I felt bad, that I was never able to," he said, with a regretful look. "But after that day - when they told me the cloning thing wasn't going to work..." He looked down. "Something changed in me," Vader admitted quietly. "I felt - _different_. Like that door had been shut forever; and I could never go back to being who I was before."

Luke nodded commiseratively, but Vader grinned again, shaking his head. "Well that explains a lot," he confessed. "And I'm glad to know," he added sincerely, giving Luke an appreciative look. But then his expression turned curious. "So how is he?"

"Good," Luke assured him. "He's been living in exile for the past twenty years, along with Yoda, and Obi-Wan," he explained. "They cloned themselves too," he added, realizing how crazy that probably sounded.

"Did they?" Vader blinked in surprise. "So the ghosts are - ?"

"Clones," Luke confirmed. "You've talked to them?"

"Yeah," Vader said, with a troubled frown. "They seem a bit - _off_."

"Right," Luke agreed. "It's because of the Transcendence; it's an ancient Jedi art, forgotten for a reason," he explained. "Turns out it's very dangerous - us talking like this," he added reluctantly. "Over time it leads to insanity."

"Oh." Vader blinked, disconcerted. "Okay, I thought it seemed weird."

Luke smiled regretfully. "You need to move on," he told Vader. "For your own sake, and - for mine," he confessed. "I'm not supposed to talk to you after this."

Vader looked down, nodding. "I understand."

"But I was hoping to learn more about Johnny," Luke said. "What happened, with him?"

"Oh. He was... a mistake," Vader admitted, sighing. "An accident. Five years ago, I learned that I had LTWTL, and - "

Luke frowned. "What's LTWTL?"

"Uh... Lost The Will To Live," Vader mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.

"You lost the will to live?" Luke's eyes widened. _Well that explains why I survived two lightsaber duels against him. He wasn't even trying..._ "So - you wanted to die?"

"No! I didn't," Vader protested, his brows furrowing indignantly. "LTWTL is a rare terminal illness; it has nothing to do with that," he insisted. "I wanted so badly to live, to protect you, and Leia," Vader confessed, looking down in regret. "I didn't know... I didn't realize Anakin was out there, training you guys all along." But then he frowned skeptically. "He _did_ train you, right?"

"No," Luke admitted. _Because if he'd trained me, I wouldn't have been quite so awful during our first duel. And YOU'D never have managed to chop my hand off._ "Ben trained me, a little... before he died," Luke told him, shrugging. "But actually - it was Johnny who taught me most of what I know."

At this, Vader grinned in surprise. "Johnny? Really?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "He um - well, we found tutorials on the HoloNet, and practiced together."

Vader smiled. "That's great," he said, quietly amused. But then his brows furrowed. "So - what the hell has Anakin been doing all this time?"

"He's, uh - he's been on Kalydon," Luke explained. "With Obi-Wan, and Yoda."

"Kalydon?" Vader repeated, blinking. "So they've just been hiding on the Outer Rim like a bunch of cowards, and leaving you and Leia to deal with everything?"

"No! They were trying to save the Jedi Order," Luke protested. "And they succeeded," he pointed out defensively.

But Vader was unimpressed. "Why didn't they take you and Leia with them?"

"They _did_ - well, kind of," Luke said, shrugging. "They cloned us too, when we were babies," he explained. "They took the clones with them to Kalydon; they're both Jedi Knights now."

"Wait... So Anakin cloned you and Leia - and took the _clones_ with him?" Vader asked, baffled. "Is he a complete idiot?"

"It wasn't his choice," Luke said, in his father's defense. "Obi-Wan and Yoda told him he needed to let go of his attachments."

"Gah," Vader sighed wearily, shaking his head.

"Anyway, he feels really bad... Especially for what he did to you," Luke apologized again.

"Well he should," Vader retorted. "He's an idiot," he muttered again, scowling. "Just my luck, to be the clone of a idiot. Some Chosen One _he_ is," he grumbled. "Sends a damned clone to get the job done."

"Well... it worked," Luke countered, trying to look on the bright side.

"Yeah, no thanks to him," Vader glowered.

"Actually," Luke pointed out thoughtfully. "He _did_ kill the Emperor, in the end."

Vader's brows furrowed. "What?"

"The reactor core," Luke explained. "He said he overloaded the electrical system, a few days ago."

At this, Vader laughed, shaking his head. "Of course he did," he sighed, defeated. "Idiot," he added sulkily.

Luke smiled apologetically. "He's not so bad."

"Yeah, yeah," Vader sighed. "So he's really all right now? I mean - he's treating you and Leia okay?" he asked, with a concerned look. "Because if he's being - you know, a butthead, or anything - just say the word, and I'll haunt his ass into the next millennium," he vowed darkly.

Luke laughed. "No, that won't be necessary," he reassured Vader. _He's my father. I love him._ "He's behaving himself. I promise."

"Okay," Vader conceded grudgingly.

"Anyway," Luke said, delicately changing the subject. "You were saying... about Johnny?"

"Oh, right," Vader nodded. "Yeah, it turns out the only treatment for LTWTL involves cloning. And I wouldn't have done it, except - " Vader shook his head. "I was worried what would happen to you and Leia, after I was gone," he confessed. "And that whoever replaced me would do a much better job of hunting you down. Because - I don't know if you guys noticed, but - I kind of sucked at it," Vader said, with a conspiratorial grin.

Luke blinked. "Wait... You were trying _not_ to catch us?"

"Well obviously," Vader said, scowling indignantly. "Anyway, that's why I made Johnny. He was supposed to take over my job after I was gone, and keep you and Leia safe. But then - " he sighed in regret. "They would have had to do some pretty awful things to him, to get him to pass for me," Vader admitted quietly. "In the end... I couldn't do it," he confessed, looking down.

Luke nodded, sobered. "You couldn't do to Johnny, what was done to you."

"No, I suppose not," Vader agreed, somewhat uncomfortably. "So I did a mind wipe on him, and let him go. I didn't know what else to do with him," he apologized, shrugging. "I never expected to see him again," he admitted. Then he gave Luke a curious look. "How's Johnny doing, is he all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Luke assured him. "He's to be trained as a Jedi."

"Is he?" Vader grinned, surprised. "I'm glad." He looked down, smiling fondly. "Tell him... Tell him - I love him."

Luke nodded gently. "I will."

"I love you too, Luke," Vader added, with a shy glance. "And Leia. Always have. I've tried my best to protect you two..." Suddenly he blinked, remembering something. "Speaking of which - I came here to warn you: Palpatine was training another Apprentice, illegally. Her name is - "

"Mara Jade," Luke confirmed, nodding. "Yes, I know."

"Ah. Of course you do," Vader sighed, a bit crushed. "Anyway, she's still out there, somewhere," he said. "I don't know exactly what her plan is, but... Eh, she's no match for you guys," he admitted. "Especially if Yoda, and Obi-Wan, and - the dumbass are back in town," he conceded, as they shared a commiserative grin. Then he looked down quietly. "Well... I guess I should be going," Vader said with a regretful smile, getting up from the couch.

Luke nodded reluctantly, standing up as well. "Will you be all right?"

"Yeah," Vader assured him. "I already am," he pointed out, casting another baffled glance at his ghostly - but once again intact - limbs. "And I think I know where I'm supposed to go," he told Luke. "There's this bright light - it's very obvious; I feel drawn to it, like - it's _calling_ to me, somehow," Vader murmured thoughtfully. "But Ben and Yoda said not to go there. We got into a big argument over it yesterday; it was - insane," he sighed, exasperated. "But - yeah, don't worry," Vader promised, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I'll make sure they come with me."

Luke grinned. "Thank you," he said. "For everything," he added lamely, realizing this was his final goodbye to the man who had been his lifelong adversary, his most bitter disappointment - and quietly, through it all, his stalwart and loyal protector. Suddenly he felt a lump in his throat, and he gave Vader a look of gratitude, and love, and forgiveness, falling back upon the only words that would come to him. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you as well," Vader replied fondly, nodding in appreciation. "Goodbye, Luke."

With a last loving, enigmatic smile, his ghostly image faded into a shimmer of blue, and was gone.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

"Johnny!" Raq exclaimed, embracing him. "So good to see you!"

"Nice to see you too," Johnny agreed, grinning. "Hi Kalana," he added, giving her a secret wistful look; she had changed out of her mechanic coveralls from this morning, and was now wearing a soft knitted tunic and leggings, her dark hair falling gracefully to her shoulders. _Gah, she looks beautiful..._ Johnny tore his eyes away from her, turning back to her father. "How have you been?"

"Oh - good," Raq nodded. "Busy," he added, with a rueful grin. "With everything going on lately, I'm up to my eyeballs in work," he confessed, glancing at the Help Wanted sign on the door. "But - no, don't you even think about it," he scolded Johnny. "You know I have my rules."

Johnny laughed shyly, looking down. _I guess it works both ways,_ he realized. _If I want to touch his daughter, I can't work for him._ "Yes, sir," he agreed, as Kalana suppressed an amused giggle.

"I hear you've had quite an adventure," Raq added, impressed. "You're going to have to tell me all about it," he insisted, patting Johnny proudly on the back. "But not tonight," he sighed. "I just got back from Corellia; it's been a long day. Think I'm gonna turn in," Raq apologized, heading over to the little stairway which led to their apartment loft. "I'll let you two - whatever_,_" he said with a dismissive wave, his eyes twinkling. "Johnny, it's wonderful to have you back. Welcome home."

"Thank you," Johnny replied. "It's nice to be back."

"'G'night," Kalana called after her father, who nodded good-naturedly; then she turned back to Johnny. "So how was your day?"

"Ahh... Pretty crazy," Johnny confessed, grinning. "How was yours?"

"Good," Kalana said cheerfully. "Hey, want to watch the fireworks?" she suggested, glancing out the window; this was the third night of celebrations since the fall of the Empire, and there seemed to be no end to the festivities. "There's a pretty good view from the rooftop."

"Sure," Johnny agreed, following her upstairs. He had visited their apartment loft several times before; Raq had often been kind enough to invite Johnny for dinner, and he smiled now, glancing around at the familiar, cheery surroundings. _It feels like home. _

But he had never seen Kalana's room before, and grinned in delight as she led him inside. It was a tiny room, with a small bed covered in a floral-patterned quilt and throw pillows; the little dormer window was framed in white lace curtains, with a collection of stuffed animals cluttering the window seat. _This is so cute - _"Ahh!" Johnny exclaimed, turning to find himself face-to-face with a nearly life-sized poster of an enormous sea monster, its huge eyeballs staring at him fiercely over a row of knife-sharp teeth. _'Save the Gooberfish'_, the caption boldly proclaimed. "What the - ?"

Kalana giggled. "My student group hosted a benefit event at the Coruscant Aquarium, a couple years ago," she explained. "They let me keep the poster."

"Oh," Johnny stammered, blinking. "That's - " He broke off, at a loss for words. "That thing doesn't scare you at night?" he asked, casting a wary glance at the fearsome creature. "They eat people, you know."

Kalana smiled in amusement. "We're a much bigger threat to _them_, than they are to us," she assured him.

"Yeah... I suppose," Johnny agreed doubtfully.

"Anyway," Kalana added, with a self-conscious shrug. "I can take it down, if you don't like it."

"No," Johnny protested quickly. "It's - great," he assured her. "I love it." They shared a shy smile, and Johnny found himself gazing into her green-flecked eyes, his heart fluttering nervously as he tried to think of something else to say. _You're so - beautiful,_ he wanted to tell her. _From the moment I met you, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you. You are in my very soul; my heart is beating, hoping..._

_Gah, that sounds moronic,_ Johnny berated himself, admitting he was no good at this sort of thing. _Just keep your stupid mouth shut._

But Kalana just smiled cheerfully. "Come on," she said, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Let's go watch the fireworks."

"Oh; right," Johnny agreed, following her over to the little dormer window, which opened onto the rooftop. They climbed outside, then sat together on their humble second-story perch, peering up between the surrounding skyscrapers to catch a glimpse of the fireworks bursting against the night sky.

"It's not the greatest view," Kalana apologized.

"No; it's perfect," Johnny assured her. He smiled peacefully, gazing up at the fireworks; it felt good to just relax for a moment.

"You're quiet," Kalana noted.

"Sorry," Johnny apologized, grinning. "I'm just - tired," he confessed. "It's been a crazy day."

"Yeah?" Kalana asked, curious. "What happened?"

"Eh..." Johnny sighed. He wasn't ready to tell her what he had learned today; and in fact, that information was still considered top secret. But the news would come out tomorrow, and Kalana deserved to hear it from _him_, rather than a sensational HoloNet broadcast.

"I um... I found out about my family," he confessed.

"Really? Johnny, that's great!" Kalana exclaimed. "So - you've got your memory back?"

"Not exactly," Johnny hesitated. _How am I going to tell her?_ he wondered helplessly.

But then he remembered: this was, after all, the same girl who had joined a student campaign outside DoubleYou headquarters three years ago, protesting for human rights and carrying around a huge picket sign proclaiming that 'Clones Are People Too'. Johnny had thought she was completely nuts at the time; but his outlook on the matter had changed rather dramatically since then.

_Kalana's about the most open-minded person I've ever met,_ Johnny admitted. _And if she can find a soft spot in her heart for giant man-eating sea monsters, and other freaks of nature... Maybe there's hope for me._

"Kalana, the reason I don't remember my childhood is - because I never had one," Johnny explained quietly. "I'm a - " he broke off, looking down. "I'm a clone," he said, not daring to see her reaction.

"A _clone?_" Kalana repeated, her eyes widening in astonishment. "What? How - " she stammered, at a loss. Then she gave Johnny a confused look, trying to understand. "_Whose_ clone?"

Johnny sighed. _That's the big question, isn't it._ "He's - um... Not very well liked."

Kalana blinked uncertainly. "Somebody famous?"

"Yeah. Well - _infamous_ is more like it."

"What, some billionaire tycoon?" Kalana giggled. "Who?"

Johnny looked down. "You're going to hate me."

"Johnny, I don't hate you. I mean - whoever it was, he's probably made some bad business choices, but - I mean, look at you," she pointed out. "You ran off to become a _Stormtrooper_, and that's about as dumb as it gets," Kalana said. "But I don't hate you for it," she insisted. "And whoever it is... He's cute," she added shyly. "Heck, I'd clone him too." Then her eyes widened. "Oh my - " she gasped, staring at Johnny. "Is he some kind of porn star?"

Johnny laughed, embarrassed. "No," he assured her. "Definitely not."

"Ha... okay," Kalana said. "Because I don't watch that stuff, you know," she added, furrowing her brows in disapproval.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Johnny promised. "He wasn't a porn star. He was - " He broke off, shaking his head. _May as well just get it over with._ "A Sith Lord," he confessed unhappily, looking down. "Darth Vader."

"Hahahaaa!" Kalana laughed; but then she saw that he was serious, and her mirth faded. "Johnny... Tell me this is some kind of stupid joke?"

"No... I wish it was," Johnny said, shrugging dejectedly. "Well - kind of," he admitted hesitantly. "I got to know him a little bit, when I was working as a Stormtrooper," he confessed. "He's - not as bad as people think," Johnny insisted quietly. "He didn't like what he was doing. In fact, that's why he made me: to get away from that job," he told Kalana. "I was supposed to be a WRC."

"Aaghh," Kalana sighed, shaking her head; she had protested specifically _against_ work-replacement clones years ago, and thought the entire concept was unethical.

"Anyway, he couldn't go through with it, in the end," Johnny continued, shrugging. "He changed his mind, and just - let me go. I know it sounds crazy, but... He wasn't such a bad guy, Kalana."

Kalana sighed, nodding in quiet acceptance. "Well if he was anything like you, then... No, I suppose he wasn't," she conceded, giving Johnny a regretful look. "So - who _was_ he?" she asked, curious.

"Well, it's kind of complicated," Johnny said. "As it turns out - he was a clone too," he explained. "A WRC. He didn't know it either."

"Vader was a clone?" Kalana blinked. "So - who made _him_?"

Johnny sighed. "Anakin Skywalker," he told her. "Luke's father."

"Luke Skywalker's father?" Kalana repeated, astonished. "So - you're the clone, of a clone, of - " she broke off, trying to make sense of it. "Wait," she murmured thoughtfully. "Luke's father was a Jedi... wasn't he?"

"Yes," Johnny said. "Still is," he added. "He survived; he got away from the Emperor, and left Vader in his place. He's been living in exile for the past twenty years, along with a few other Jedi survivors. But they're back now. Luke and I spent most of the day with them, at the Jedi Temple."

"Wow... I heard on the news that Luke was hoping to restore the Jedi Order," Kalana said, impressed. "So it's really going to happen?"

"Yeah. And they've invited me to join them," Johnny told her. "I'm to begin my training tomorrow."

"Jedi training?" Kalana asked, grinning with surprise. "Johnny, that's amazing!" she exclaimed, hugging him; but then she let go, suddenly uncertain.

"What?" Johnny asked; he could feel her profound dismay.

"Nothing," Kalana said, looking down. "Sorry... I'm - happy for you," she insisted bravely.

"Oh..." Johnny blinked, realizing what this was about. "Kalana, the rules have changed," he told her. "Jedi are allowed to marry now."

Kalana looked up at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Really," Johnny confirmed. "Well - if I ever find anyone crazy enough to want to marry Darth Vader's clone," he added, with a rueful grin.

Kalana giggled. "It might not be as hard as you think," she offered shyly.

"I dunno," Johnny confessed. "I mean, there's this girl I like, but - her dad might go ballistic when he finds out," he admitted, cringing.

Kalana smiled in amusement. "Her dad will just have to deal," she assured him. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah?" Johnny asked hopefully. "So - um... Kalana - will you...?" _Ahh, it's too soon to be asking her that,_ he realized, looking down in embarrassment. _I'm no good at this stuff_ - he blinked in surprise as he felt a tender little kiss on his cheek.

"Yes," Kalana said, her eyes shining happily. "I will."

_I may not have a past,_ Johnny thought, sharing a loving smile with Kalana as they kissed beneath the fireworks. _But I have a future._ He was still coming to terms with his newfound identity, but had to admit that even being a clone had its advantages: it wasn't everyone who could understand with such profound clarity, their Creator's purpose for them.

_This is what I was made for,_ Johnny realized with quiet gratitude, looking up at the night sky. _To live a good life, and be happy._


	27. The End

**Chapter 27  
**

_A week later..._

"So... Lunch at Dex's?" Johnny suggested, as he and Luke exited the Jedi Temple.

"Sure," Luke nodded cheerfully. "Sounds good." Obi-Wan and Anakin had introduced them to Dex's Diner a few days ago; it was just a humble establishment in CoCo Town, but Dex was an old friend of Obi-Wan's, and made the best Bantha burgers in the galaxy.

They headed down the street toward the public transit stop; but suddenly they both hesitated, turning around as they sensed someone following them. "Kalana," Johnny exclaimed, grinning in surprise; he embraced her happily, and they shared a quick kiss. "You're just in time; we're on our way to Dex's for lunch."

"Oh! Great," Kalana said, joining them. "I mean - if I'm not interrupting anything?" she added, giving Luke an apologetic look.

"No, of course not," Luke assured her. _Although now I feel like I am, _he confessed. _Ahh, they probably want to be alone..._ "Actually, you two go ahead," he suggested. "I got - stuff to do," he explained vaguely, not wanting to be a third wheel.

But Johnny saw through his excuse. "You _will_ come with us," he informed Luke playfully, waving his fingers; Obi-Wan had been instructing them all in the art of Jedi mind tricks, and Johnny and Leia were both making admirable progress.

"Ha," Luke laughed, shaking his head. "Nice try."

"Damn it," Johnny sighed, as Kalana giggled in amusement. "Come on, Luke," he pleaded again. "I promise - we won't talk about wedding dresses, or flower arrangements, or anything like that," he assured him. "Right?" he asked Kalana, cringing in apology; they were planning to get married in just three weeks' time, before Raq came to his senses and changed his mind about the whole thing.

"That's right," Kalana agreed, her eyes twinkling. "No girly talk, I promise."

"Eh, it isn't that," Luke assured them. "I just - need to pick up some power converters," he insisted calmly, with a subtle gesture; Luke had been using mind tricks far longer than Johnny or Leia, and was even better at it now, thanks to proper Jedi training.

Johnny's brows furrowed momentarily, but then he nodded, accepting it. "Oh," he said, shrugging. "Okay."

"Power converters?" Kalana repeated, curious. "Hey, you should stop by my dad's shop," she offered helpfully. "He's got tons of them."

"Yeah?" Luke asked. "Has he got anything that'll work on an old Jedi Starfighter?" Luke, Johnny, and Anakin were hoping to restore the remainder of the original fleet - which had been sitting idle in the Jedi Temple's hangar for the past two decades - but there hadn't been time to deal with it yet.

"Oh," Kalana sighed. "_That,_ he doesn't have," she admitted. "But you might try Super Mega Spaceship Warehouse," she suggested. "They have _everything,_" she added, valiantly attempting to hide her disappointment.

"Okay; I'll check them out," Luke said, nodding appreciatively. "Thanks." _Gah, I have to come up with a better excuse to get away,_ he sighed, as Johnny and Kalana continued on toward Dex's Diner. _Everyone thinks I'm obsessed with power converters,_ Luke laughed ruefully, obediently heading off in the general direction of Super Mega Spaceship Warehouse. _But the truth is, sometimes I just need to be alone._

_And that's my whole problem,_ Luke confessed, feeling a twinge of unhappiness. It had not been lost on him - amidst the joyful celebrations of this past week - that everyone else seemed to be _together_, whereas Luke, in contrast, was always _alone_. Han had Leia; Johnny had Kalana; Ekul was married and had a kid already, and even Aiel had a boyfriend, back on Kalydon. But Luke had never had a girlfriend, in his entire life.

He'd come close, once. He'd kissed a girl, and she had been beautiful, and wonderful, and Luke had truly loved her. And he had pretended to enjoy their kiss; but in truth, it had felt completely _wrong_ to him - and the experience had confused him so deeply that he had pointedly avoided females ever since. Not that he liked males either; but the unsettling sensation he'd felt after just one kiss - with a beautiful girl - had definitely given him cause for concern.

But that was of course before he realized that Leia was his own sister; and in retrospect, his feelings made a lot more sense. _Maybe I'm not such a freak after all,_ Luke thought optimistically, trying to push the disturbing memory from his mind. _Maybe there's still hope for me._

His thoughts turned once again to the mysterious girl from Jabba's palace; the young exotic dancer with the incredible green eyes. _Who is she?_ he wondered again, surprised by his feelings for this strange girl. _She's beautiful... _Of course, the _last_ time he'd felt this way about a girl, she'd turned out to be his own twin sister, and Luke was determined not to repeat _that_ mistake again.

_She IS from Tatooine,_ Luke reminded himself, with a worried sigh. Anakin had sworn up and down that he hadn't fathered any other children, but still... _She could be my cousin or something,_ Luke admitted; after all, the identity of his paternal grandfather was still somewhat of a mystery. And if the events of this past week had taught him anything, it was that people whose genealogy wasn't completely rock-solid generally ended up being related to him, one way or another.

_That's probably it,_ Luke realized; it would explain the strange look she'd given him back at Jabba's palace, and why she had followed him here to Coruscant. _She's my cousin, and needs my help; but she's afraid to talk to me, for some reason._ He'd spotted her several times over the past week, and sensed that she was in trouble, and frightened; but every time he had tried to follow her, she had quickly disappeared around a corner, or vanished amidst the crowd.

_Speaking of which - that's not a bad idea,_ Luke admitted, casting a wary glance at the crowded street up ahead. The newly-reinstated Jedi Order had been all over the news lately, and by this point the entire galaxy recognized Luke's face. _And Ekul's, and Aiel's, and Johnny's,_ he realized with a wry smile; the cloning fiasco had shocked the galaxy, of course, but thanks to the loyal support of politicians from every planet in the former Republic, the people had been surprisingly quick to accept it, and were grateful to have the Jedi back in power, despite the somewhat bizarre circumstances of their survival.

Still, Luke felt a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, and pulled his hood up over his head now, masking his presence as he disappeared into the crowded city streets. It was another Jedi talent which he had recently perfected, and he was surprised by its effectiveness. _Here I am, walking through the middle of Coruscant, in broad daylight - wearing traditional Jedi robes,_ Luke realized, casting a baffled glance at his ivory tunic and brown-hooded cloak. _And yet, nobody sees me._

_Ekul's a good teacher,_ he confessed, with a proud smile. Luke was officially Ekul's padawan now, just as Leia was Aiel's, and Johnny was Anakin's; Master Yoda had suggested this arrangement, hoping that it would help them all to feel more comfortable with each other. Luke had found it surprisingly easy to learn from his own clone; he and Ekul had the same instincts, and his new Master had a way of explaining things that made far more sense than Dagobah-Yoda's backwards adages, or poor old Ben's confused ramblings. Luke had learned much more in just this past week, than he had over the past three years combined.

_Well, I suppose I should go pick up those power converters,_ Luke decided, enjoying his newfound anonymity as he continued on toward Super Mega Spaceship Warehouse. But soon he became aware that his presence wasn't _completely_ unnoticed, as he sensed someone following him.

_It's HER,_ Luke realized once again; he could sense her fear, and uncertainty, and estimated she was about a block behind him. _But if I look back she'll run away from me,_ he admitted ruefully. He continued along the street for another block, pretending not to notice her; but then he slipped quietly into a narrow alleyway, hiding amidst the shadows and masking his presence even further as he waited for her to approach.

Sure enough, a few moments later a black-cloaked figure entered the alleyway, and Luke stepped out from his hiding place, pulling down his hood and confronting his mysterious pursuer with a look of quiet curiosity.

The strange girl stopped in her tracks, her emerald eyes flashing momentarily in surprise and alarm. Luke feared she might try to run again; but finally she just shrugged, shaking her head in defeat. "Gah," she sighed, giving Luke a look of resentment, and annoyance. "What do you want?"

Luke blinked, admittedly confused by her reaction. "_You_ were following _me_," he pointed out cautiously. "I remember you," he added, with a questioning look. "From Jabba's palace." At this, the girl rolled her eyes; Luke sensed her embarrassment, and shame. _She looks different,_ he realized. He'd been dazzled by her skimpy dancer's outfit and glittery makeup before, but somehow she was even more beautiful without all that. _And she's actually a redhead? Cool..._ A lovely, shiny strawberry curl escaped from her black hood now, and Luke suddenly felt a strange tingling warmth, deep down inside his heart. No; it was lower than that, he realized with a disturbed frown, trying to quell the unbidden sensation. _Come on; focus,_ he berated himself. "Are you all right?" he asked, trying to conduct himself like a Jedi.

"Fine," the girl replied, scowling in annoyance; but Luke could sense her obvious bitterness and despair.

"What's your name?" he asked gently.

The girl looked away, shrugging unhappily at the question. "Arica."

_Arica?_ Luke's heart fluttered. _That's a pretty name... Gah! No,_ he reminded himself, once again disturbed by his feelings. "And your last name?" Luke inquired cautiously. _Because if it's Skywalker, or Lars, or Naberrie, or - The Force... I might need therapy._

The girl looked sullenly at the ground. "I don't have one."

Luke sighed. _Of course you don't._ After all, she had been a dancer at Jabba's palace, and was probably a slave. "Are you in trouble?" he asked, concerned.

Arica shook her head in weary defeat. "More than you know."

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, trying to understand. "I can help."

But Arica just laughed bitterly. "No, you really can't," she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and condescension.

"Yes I can," Luke promised her. _I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you. And then if by some miracle we aren't related, we can get married, and live happily ever after._ "I'm a Jedi," he pointed out, glancing at his traditional ivory-and-brown outfit. "It's what I do."

Arica rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Yeah, well, that's the whole problem," she muttered.

"Huh?" Luke asked, not following. "What's wrong?" he pressed her again gently. "Are you in trouble with the Hutts?" It was true that the Jedi had no legal jurisdiction over the Hutts, but there had to be _something_ they could do.

"No," Arica replied, scowling disdainfully at the thought.

"Who, then?" Luke asked, baffled by this strange girl, and her even stranger attitude.

Arica sighed in exasperation. "You," she told him, with an annoyed glare.

"Me?" Luke blinked innocently. "What? No, I - " Suddenly he found himself staring at her black cloak, as the truth slowly dawned upon him. "You're - you're Mara Jade," he stammered, astonished by the realization. _She's not my cousin; she's a Sith assassin,_ Luke sighed unhappily. _I swear, I have no luck at all._

The girl shrugged, maintaining an air of stubborn indifference. "So what are you going to do with me?" she asked, trying to hide her bitterness and fear.

_Good question..._ Luke had been hoping to rescue her from danger, sweep her off her feet, fall madly in love and live happily ever after; but now it looked as though he would have to arrest her instead. "I - um... I should bring you in to the Temple," he confessed apologetically.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Fine," she agreed sullenly, holding her wrists out so he could handcuff her.

"Uh - I don't have any binders on me," Luke admitted, feeling woefully unprepared for this scenario; it was his first official arrest as a Jedi padawan, and he tried to remember what Ekul had taught him. _Oh! Right..._ "But I will have to confiscate your weapons," he informed her.

Mara sighed, reaching inside her black cloak and unclipping the lightsaber hilt from her belt. "Here," she said, pressing it into his hand. "And you'd better take this too," she grumbled, pulling out her blaster pistol. "And this," she sighed, unstrapping a concealed vibroblade from her ankle and handing it over to him, holster and all.

"All right; thanks," Luke replied awkwardly, clutching the small arsenal of weapons in his hands. "Um... That's everything?" he asked hesitantly; technically he was supposed to pat her down, to check for other weapons hidden beneath her clothing, but he feared what might happen within his _own_ pants if he tried that.

"Yeah, that's everything," Mara insisted resentfully. "What, you want to strip search me now?"

"Yes... I mean - no," Luke stammered, quickly correcting himself. _Gah..._ "No," he assured her, trying to maintain his dignity.

"Good," Mara retorted, with an annoyed glare; but Luke felt a momentary flicker of amusement in her presence, and caught the hint of a barely-concealed smirk as she turned away from him, marching briskly back toward the Jedi Temple. "Come on," she said, impatient to get on with her arrest. "Let's go."

Luke chased after her, hurriedly clipping her lightsaber, blaster, and vibroblade onto his utility belt. _I seriously don't get this girl..._ "That's it?" he asked, baffled by her willingness to cooperate. "You're not going to try to run?"

Mara gave him a reproachful look. "If I _was_, would I tell you?"

Luke sighed. "No," he admitted glumly.

But his captor just shrugged, continuing toward the Temple. "Where would I go, even if I wanted to?" she muttered in frustration. "Besides, I need to talk to the Jedi anyway," she admitted grudgingly. "I have... information."

"Information?" Luke repeated, curious. "About what?"

"Heh... All sorts of things," Mara replied, a devious glimmer in her green eyes. But then she sighed, shaking her head. "There's another Grand Admiral still out there," she told Luke quietly, her expression serious.

Luke blinked. "There is?"

"Yeah," Mara said, looking down uncomfortably. "Thrawn. He's officially retired, but Palpatine sent him on a secret assignment, out in the Unknown Regions," she told Luke. "I'm not sure exactly what he's up to, but - " she gave Luke a guarded look. "My guess is he's still loyal to the Emperor."

Luke nodded in concern, though he was admittedly surprised by her warning. "And you're not?" he asked gently.

At this, Mara scowled, her eyes flashing with anger. "I hated him, you know," she told Luke, casting a contemptuous glance back toward the Imperial Palace. "I never asked to be his stupid Apprentice. He took me in when I was three; it's not like I ever had a choice in the matter," she grumbled bitterly. "Anyway, I'm glad he's dead," she insisted. "I just wish... I could have helped you with that," she admitted, giving him a wary look.

Luke nodded, sobered by her confession. "Well - maybe you still can," he suggested hesitantly. "Help us, I mean," he clarified, glancing toward the Jedi Temple. "Although it's not really up to me," he admitted; after all, he _was_ supposed to be arresting her. "It would have to be Master Yoda's decision," Luke apologized. "But - there are only nine of us at the moment, Mara," he pointed out. "We could use your help."

Mara looked at him uncertainly, and for a moment the guarded contempt in her green eyes was replaced by a flicker of hope, and trust. But then she blinked, looking away again. "Sure," she agreed indifferently, marching onward to the Jedi Temple. "Whatever. I don't care."

"_I_ care," Luke called after her, dismayed by her fatalistic attitude. "Mara," he said, catching up with her and putting a hand on her shoulder. She bristled at his touch, and her eyes flickered with momentary anger, but she tried to quell her emotions, biting her lip unhappily. "_I_ care," Luke insisted again, looking into her eyes.

Mara scowled, fighting tears. "You're weird," she grumbled, staring resolutely at the ground.

Luke grinned. "Yeah, I know," he agreed. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened to you," he apologized gently. "What Palpatine did to you... That wasn't your fault," he insisted, as Mara looked away, stubbornly avoiding his gaze. "But we've been dealing with this sort of thing all week," Luke told her. "Palpatine was evil, and the Empire was corrupt; but the people who worked for him were just trying to survive, the only way they could," he admitted. "The Jedi Order, and the Senate - we want to give everyone a chance to work _with_ us, rather than against us," Luke assured her. "And over the past week, some of the Empire's highest-ranking officials have turned out to be invaluable supporters of the New Republic."

But Mara remained unconvinced. "And how many of them were trained Sith assassins?" she asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"None, so far," Luke confessed, smiling gently. "But even trained Sith assassins have their uses," he assured her. "Like I said, it's not entirely up to me," Luke apologized once again. "But - my guess is that the Jedi would welcome your help," he told her sincerely.

Mara sighed. "I don't know," she said, frowning doubtfully. "I mean - I was the Emperor's Hand," she pointed out.

"And my father was a Sith Lord; by his own choice," Luke countered quietly. "But the Jedi took _him_ back," he told her, with a reassuring smile. "I'd say you have a chance, Mara."

Mara's green eyes flickered uncertainly, with something that resembled hope, and trust, and gratitude, though she guarded her feelings cautiously. "Okay," she said, nodding in quiet acceptance as they continued on toward the Jedi Temple. "Let's go."

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Excellent work, Mara," Obi-Wan praised his new padawan, admiring the kavi tree sapling she had just planted inside the Room of a Thousand Fountains. "You've added fertilizer to the soil, and given it water?"

"Yes, Master," Mara nodded respectfully. "So... I'm done with this one?" she asked, uncertain.

"Not quite," Obi-Wan replied, his eyes twinkling with affection. "Now, close your eyes," he instructed her, as Mara obeyed, though she frowned doubtfully. "And send it feelings of love, and nurture, and encouragement," he coached her.

Mara opened her eyes again, blinking in confusion. "Why?" she asked, baffled. "It's a _tree_."

"All life is connected, through the Force," Obi-Wan explained patiently. "A lesson that you will need to learn, if you are to become a Jedi," he reminded her. "My very young padawan," he added, with a look of reproach. "Now; try it again."

"Gah," Mara sighed wearily. "Okay," she grumbled, closing her eyes again. "I'll love the tree."

"There you go," Obi-Wan said, patting her gently on the shoulder. "That's much better."

_Poor Obi-Wan,_ Johnny laughed, suppressing a rueful smile as he returned to his own task of repairing the fountain room's irrigation system. As if training Anakin hadn't been hard enough, Obi-Wan was now saddled with the daunting task of teaching Mara Jade, arguably the galaxy's Second-Worst Padawan Ever. _He has more patience than I would,_ Johnny admitted, pulling apart a rusty water pipe and examining the damage.

Yoda and Tika had made far more progress with their own gardening efforts today, and were finishing up their seventh planter bed, while Aiel and Leia worked nearby, just starting on their fourth - which they were filling with delicate ferns and a variety of colorful flowers they had gathered on Kalydon, and Naboo. _This place is starting to look really nice,_ Johnny confessed, sharing a cheerful smile with Leia as she caught his gaze.

_Now if only we can get the fountains working again,_ Johnny sighed. He and Anakin had been assigned the task of repairing the irrigation system, but so far they'd been mired in technical problems. _We'll figure it out, though,_ he felt confident. _W__e're good at fixing things_. And Johnny truly enjoyed working with Master Anakin; in some ways, it reminded him of the fun times he and Vader had shared, building model spaceships together, or brainstorming how to fix the latest technical disaster aboard the Death Star.

_Though that was typically much easier than this,_ Johnny confessed. Then again, two-thirds of the elusive malfunctions aboard the Death Star had been caused either by Johnny, or Vader himself. _And the other third was Anakin's fault,_ Johnny laughed, amused by the absurdity of that whole situation. _But this isn't sabotage,_ Johnny sighed, trying to locate the leak in the irrigation system. _This is... I don't KNOW what,_ he confessed, baffled.

But then an idea occurred to him. _Luke knows about this stuff,_ Johnny realized, going over to consult with him. _He grew up on a moisture farm..._ "Hey Luke," he said, finding him on the other side of the atrium, where he and Ekul were repairing a large stone statue. "We're having trouble finding a leak in the system," Johnny told him. "Anakin went to get a moisture detector, to hook up to Artoo," he explained. "But I was wondering if you had any other ideas?"

"Oh," Luke said, blinking worriedly. "No, that's not going to work," he told Johnny, as Ekul frowned in agreement. "You need special vaporator repair units for that sort of thing," he confessed. "And I doubt any place on Coruscant carries those," he added, with a regretful look.

"Yeah, that's what we figured," Johnny sighed. "So you don't think there's any way we can program Artoo and Threepio to do it?" he asked; it was the best plan he and Anakin had been able to come up with so far.

"Uh... You can _try_," Luke said doubtfully, glancing across the room, where the little astrodroid was valiantly attempting to locate the source of the problem, under Threepio's supervision. "But basically..." They shared a knowing look, and Luke cringed in apology.

"Yeah, yeah," Johnny laughed ruefully, returning to his work. _These aren't the droids I'm looking for._

But Artoo held a far more optimistic view of the situation, and was busy drilling yet _another_ hole in the fountain room's irrigation system, in a random but stubbornly persistent attempt to find the leaky pipe. _Gah, don't do that,_ Johnny sighed wearily. _You're making a mess..._

"Artoo, just you wait for Master Anakin to return," Threepio was scolding him now.

"Yeah, Artoo - just hang on," Johnny agreed worriedly; but suddenly he looked up, hearing a frustrated Wookiee roar overhead.

"Raaaauuuggghh," Chewbacca moaned, straining to pull against a heavy rope as he attempted to maneuver a large stone fountainhead into position, along with Han and Lando. "Arrrghhhh Rrrruff Grrfff Rrraaarrrrggghhhh!"

"Take it easy," Han chided him, straining against his own rope. "Don't throw a temper tantrum." But clearly it wasn't working, and he sighed, looking around for help. "Hey down there," he called out to Johnny. "Can you give us a hand with this?"

"Yeah - sure," Johnny agreed, climbing up to join them on the ledge.

"Okay, on three," Han said, as Johnny took hold of one of the ropes. "One, two - ugh..." The three of them pulled with all their strength; but the fountainhead kept getting caught on an outcropping above them, and refused to slide into place.

"Higher," Lando instructed Johnny, from his vantage point on the ledge above. "Just a little higher..."

"Ugh... I can't," Johnny apologized, grunting. He was already pulling with his entire body weight; he'd lost his foothold on the ledge beneath him, and was now dangling awkwardly in mid-air, clinging to the rope. "Maybe if we get Chewie on this side...?"

"Waaaaauuuuggghh," Chewie moaned in frustration.

But then he heard a familiar - though somewhat confused - voice below him. "You know, there's an easier way to do that," Anakin said, staring at their elaborate rope-and-pulley system with bewilderment. _Crap, I never sense when he sneaks up on me_.

Johnny followed Anakin's gaze to the other side of the fountain room, where Luke and Ekul were effortlessly levitating their own statue into position. _Oops..._ "Right," Johnny said sheepishly, as they carefully lowered the fountainhead again. "I mean - yes, Master," he corrected himself, hopping down from the ledge.

But then he caught Obi-Wan's look of disapproval, and suppressed a mischievous grin. _Oh, right... I'm supposed to give Anakin a hard time,_ Johnny remembered; he had promised Obi-Wan he'd make his Master's job as difficult as possible, as payback for Anakin's own wayward padawan days. _Especially now that Obi-Wan's stuck training Mara,_ Johnny commiserated, giving him a subtle nod. _It's really the least I can do._ Besides, messing with Anakin was fun.

"You can do this," Anakin encouraged him now. "I'll back you up if you need help."

"No need," Johnny replied with cocky self-assurance, lifting a hand toward the heavy fountainhead. "I got it." _Though if I drop this thing I'm going to look like a complete ass,_ he admitted. _Damn it..._ But suddenly another idea occurred to him. An amazingly, astoundingly _stupid_ idea, he confessed; one that he would never actually go through with - and that Kalana would kill him for, if he ever tried. _But Anakin doesn't need to know that,_ he decided mischievously.

"Actually," Johnny said, lowering his hand again. "You're right; there _is_ an easier way," he informed his Master, heading abruptly out to the hallway. _Silly me, working my butt off here, when obviously there's a much better solution to all this..._

But Anakin gave him a confused look. "Where are you going?" he asked, baffled.

"Be right back," Johnny promised with an impish grin, heading for the Temple's exit. "I'm gonna go make me a clone."

**The End**


End file.
